The Washington Nationals showcased a powerful offensive display Saturday night, hitting five home runs to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-3. Nathaniel Lowe led the effort with two solo home runs, marking his first multi-homer performance of the season, as Washington secured just its second win in the last 14 games and its first road victory in July.
Jake Irvin earned the win for the Nationals, improving to 6-3 after allowing three runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. Despite surrendering a pair of solo home runs, Irvin struck out seven and provided Washington with needed stability on the mound. Three relievers followed and held the Dodgers to one hit over the final 3 2/3 innings, helping close out the game effectively.
The Nationals took control in the fourth inning with back-to-back home runs on the first two pitches of the frame. James Wood opened the inning with a solo shot, followed immediately by Luis García Jr., giving Washington a 2-0 lead. Wood’s home run was his 21st of the season and his fourth against the Dodgers in just five games.
Los Angeles answered in the fifth when Andy Pages launched a solo home run, cutting the deficit to 2-1. However, Lowe responded in the sixth with his first home run of the game, and while Will Smith brought the Dodgers back within a run with his own homer in the bottom half, the Nationals’ offense had more left in reserve.
CJ Abrams extended the lead to 5-2 in the seventh with a two-run home run off Dodgers left-hander Jack Dreyer. In the eighth, Lowe added his second homer of the night, a solo shot that pushed the Nationals’ advantage to 6-2. The five total home runs were a season high for Washington, which entered the series ranked in the bottom third of Major League Baseball in total home runs with 72.
Keibert Ruiz contributed a three-hit performance for the Nationals, going 3-for-3 with a sacrifice fly. His production helped complement the home run barrage and provided consistent offense from the catcher’s position.
Dodgers starter Dustin May allowed three home runs across six innings and took the loss, falling to 4-5 on the season. The right-hander struck out five but struggled with pitch location at key moments. Offensively, the Dodgers relied on solo home runs from Pages, Smith, and Teoscar Hernández, but were otherwise limited, particularly by the Nationals’ bullpen.
The loss dropped the Dodgers to 9-4 since June 8, and they will look to rebound in the series finale. Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to make his second pitching start for Los Angeles on Sunday. The right-hander has an ERA of 9.00 through his debut outing. Washington will counter with Michael Soroka, who enters with a 3-5 record and a 5.06 ERA. According to current betting lines, the Dodgers are favored at -210, while the Nationals are listed as +175 underdogs. The over/under for the matchup is set at 9.5 runs.
