LOS ANGELES – There’s nothing like a three-run home run to cure what ails you.
Tyler Glasnow labored through six innings and the Dodgers’ offense slipped back into its dysfunctional funk after a two-run first inning. But Tommy Edman made all of that go away with a three-run home run in the seventh inning and the Dodgers held on for a 6-5 victory over the Washington Nationals on Saturday night.
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“I do,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of seeing positive signs in a three-game winning streak, even against two teams with losing records (the St. Louis Cardinals and Nationals). “And even the last couple teams — they’re offensive, man. They score runs, and it’s just good to see our offense come to life and get timely hits, take a lot of walks, create stress and get some big hits.
“Yeah, it’s time to go, and I think our guys understand that.”
It took awhile for that spark to shine through.
The tone was set for Glasnow’s night when he retired the side in order in the first inning – on two warning-track flyouts totaling over 700 feet and a leaping catch by third baseman Kike’ Hernandez. It was not going to be easy.
Glasnow gave up five hits and walked two over the next three innings. Of his first 28 pitches, only 12 found the strike zone.
“I think today from the jump, my timing was just weird,” Glasnow said. “Not a lot of putaway stuff, nothing really felt sharp. It got a little better towards the end. It was kind of just a struggle all game.”
The Nationals scored once in the second inning but Glasnow stranded runners at second and third when he struck out Dylan Crews.
He stranded another runner in scoring position in the third inning but couldn’t avoid damage in the fourth when two-out hits by the bottom two hitters in the Nationals’ order (Keibert Ruiz and Crews) drove in two runs.
Glasnow seemed to find something after that and worked through the fifth and sixth without giving up another hit — thanks to Edman’s leaping catch at the wall on Daylen Lile’s drive to start the fifth. But Crews’ led off the seventh with a double in the seventh to end Glasnow’s night. Crews scored when Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia gave up another double to Lile. It was the first time since April 10 that Glasnow had been charged with as many as four runs.
“I think early on (I was) trying to make adjustments and do some things I normally do to get back on track,” Glasnow said. “Nothing was really clicking today so I think it’s just a matter of just go out and compete with all you can.”
The Dodgers’ offense abandoned Glasnow to his struggles for most oft the night.
Fittingly, on the first weekend of the college football season, an interception led to scoring for the Dodgers.
A hit batter and a single by Mookie Betts put two runners on with one out in the first. Kyle Tucker bounced a ground ball to first baseman Abimelec Ortiz that should have been either a 3-6-3 or a 3-6-1 double play to end the inning.
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But the Nationals couldn’t decide. After getting the out at second base, Nationals starter Cade Cavalli took the return throw at first base, intercepting it in front of Ortiz, who had the base covered. Cavalli couldn’t make contact with the base and Tucker was safe with Freddie Freeman moving to third.
Teoscar Hernandez and Hunter Feduccia followed with two-out RBI singles – the precious commodity so lacking in the Dodgers’ offense recently.
But the offense dried up after that. Cavalli retired 16 of the next 17 Dodgers batters following Feduccia’s hit.
The Nationals’ bullpen came into the game with an ERA over 5.00, higher than all but two teams (the A’s and Royals). Once Cavalli left the game after six innings, the Dodgers’ offense was revived. Alex Freeland drew a one-out walk in the seventh inning and Kike’ Hernandez singled with two outs. That brought up Edman, 0 for 7 since his four-hit game Thursday.
Nationals reliever Clayton Beeter fell behind 2-and-1 then rolled a hanging slider at the top of the strike zone. Edman hammered it into the right-field pavilion for the go-ahead runs.
“I wasn’t able to swing at the first one that he hung, and then I just made sure I wasn’t going to miss a second one,” Edman said of Beeter, a former Dodgers’ draft pick.
“Just kind of trying to get him up because I know his out pitch is a slider down. So I’m just doing my best to be ready for that pitch, but also not be chasing it down. And he hung that one, obviously.”
The Nationals’ bullpen gifted the Dodgers another run in the eighth inning on a leadoff single by Betts, two walks and a bases-loaded hit by pitch.
That run became critical when Tanner Scott gave up three consecutive two-out hits in the ninth inning, turning it into the Dodgers’ 10th one-run game in their past 16 before he stranded the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position by striking out C.J. Abrams to end the game.
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