García, Ruiz lead Nats' 5-homer barrage in 10-6 win over Dodgers
Washington Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario (9) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Joey Meneses also scored. Credit: AP/Ashley Landis
LOS ANGELES — Luis García hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the eighth inning, Keibert Ruiz added two more of Washington's five homers, and the Nationals avoided a series sweep with a 10-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.
García had been in a 2-for-22 slump since his six-hit game against Kansas City last week, but he connected for a two-out, two-strike shot down the right field line off Brusdar Graterol (2-2) to put Washington up 8-5.
Ruiz, the former Dodgers prospect traded in a package for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner in 2021, homered in the second and ninth innings, giving him three in the last two games.
Jeimer Candelario homered and drove in three runs, and CJ Abrams also homered for the Nationals, who overcame an early three-run deficit to beat the Dodgers for only the fourth time in the clubs’ last 16 meetings. Hunter Harvey pitched two innings for his third save.
Mookie Betts hit his 40th leadoff homer and added another solo shot in the eighth for the Dodgers, who lost at home for only the second time in 15 games since late April. Will Smith added a two-run shot in the first inning, but NL-leading Los Angeles’ home record dropped to 19-8 on manager Dave Roberts’ 51st birthday.
Freddie Freeman capped his spectacular month by extending his hitting streak to 20 games while going 2 for 4 with two stolen bases. Freeman batted .400 in May and set the Dodgers franchise records with 24 extra-base hits and 17 doubles.
J.D. Martinez extended his own hitting streak to 15 games, but the Dodgers' vaunted lineup couldn't overcome another rocky day from their up-and-down pitching staff. Los Angeles' opponents have scored at least 10 runs in three of the last 10 games.
Los Angeles Dodgers' Miguel Vargas (17) loses his bat as he swings during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Credit: AP/Ashley Landis
Noah Syndergaard struggled yet again for LA, blowing two leads while allowing five runs, seven hits and two walks over five innings with just two strikeouts. The once-intimidating right-hander has a 6.54 ERA after allowing multiple runs in nine consecutive starts, not counting one appearance that lasted only one inning because of injury.
Patrick Corbin yielded seven hits and four walks over five bumpy innings for the Nationals.
Candelario put Washington up 5-4 with a two-run shot in the fifth. Chris Taylor then drew a seventh-inning walk from Kyle Finnegan (2-2) on a pitch clock violation and stole second before scoring on Miguel Rojas' broken-bat single.
Washington’s Lane Thomas went 0 for 5, ending his 15-game hitting streak and 26-game on-base streak.
Washington Nationals' CJ Abrams (5) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Credit: AP/Ashley Landis
TRAINER'S ROOM
Nationals: Alex Call appeared to get hit in the hand by a pitch from Syndergaard, but stayed in the game.
Dodgers: Michael Grove will return from the injured list to start Saturday, Roberts confirmed. Grove hasn't pitched since April 20 due to a groin injury.
UP NEXT
Nationals: Josiah Gray (4-5, 2.77 ERA) takes the mound Friday at home when Washington begins a weekend series with Philadelphia.
Dodgers: The New York Yankees visit Dodger Stadium for a high-profile interleague series starting Friday. Clayton Kershaw (6-4, 3.32 ERA) takes the mound first for Los Angeles against Luis Severino (0-0, 1.59).
