Slumping Dodgers Aim to Bounce Back Against Nationals
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After a red-hot 8-0 start to the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers will aim to halt a recent slump Tuesday night when they visit the Washington Nationals.
The Dodgers have dropped three of their last four games, including Monday’s 6-4 loss in the series opener. Earlier in the day, the team visited the White House to celebrate last season’s World Series title, but their play on the field was anything but championship-caliber—marked by defensive miscues and shaky bullpen work.
Shohei Ohtani came within a double of hitting for the cycle and hit his fourth home run of the season, raising his batting average to .311. However, two Dodgers errors and a three-run seventh inning by Washington proved costly. Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the team's sloppy fundamentals, saying, “We’ve just got to keep playing, keep preparing, and we’ll be fine.”
Will Smith leads the team with a .400 batting average, while Tommy Edman tops the club with five homers.
On the mound Tuesday, 24-year-old left-hander Justin Wrobleski will make his MLB season debut after being called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City. He threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts in his lone minor league start last week. Wrobleski posted a 5.70 ERA across eight appearances last season and has yet to face the Nationals.
Washington, meanwhile, has bounced back from a 1-6 start with three straight wins. On Monday, starter MacKenzie Gore held the Dodgers to two runs over six innings, and James Wood launched a two-run homer to lead the Nationals.
“That was a good one,” manager Dave Martinez said. “You’ve got to play crisp baseball against the Dodgers, and we were really good tonight.”
The Nationals’ rotation has keyed their turnaround with three consecutive wins. Brad Lord (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will make his first MLB start Tuesday after three relief outings. The 25-year-old, an 18th-round pick in 2022, made the Opening Day roster following 25 minor league starts last year.
Lord struggled in his debut on March 30 but bounced back with two scoreless innings in Toronto during his next appearance.
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