After being swept in a two-game series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at home, the Los Angeles Dodgers got back on track with a 4-2 against the Washington Nationals to begin their road trip.
It did not take long for the Dodgers to get on the scoreboard, as Joc Pederson and Alex Verdugo began the game with back-to-back singles. One batter later, Cody Bellinger drove in Pederson with an RBI single up the middle.
The Dodgers offense really quieted down from there though. Anibal Sanchez worked out of a bases-loaded jam and retired 20 in a row to get through seven innings with just the one run allowed.
That left it up to Hyun-Jin Ryu to preserve the 1-0 lead. He all but managed to accomplish exactly that, blanking the Nationals for six innings.
But timely hits and some sloppy defense in the seventh allowed the Nationals to tie the game on Adam Eaton’s flare single into left field.
They would have taken the lead if not for Alex Verdugo, who threw out Gerardo Parra trying to score a second run. Verdugo had a solid night overall, also making a diving catch in left field and going 2-for-4 at the plate.
After the first inning, the Dodgers did not have another baserunner until there were two outs in the eighth. Pederson got a rally started by working a walk — his first this season against a southpaw — then Verdugo pulled a single into right field, setting the stage for the biggest hit of the night.
Justin Turner has been clutch his entire career with the Dodgers, and he was again on Friday night as he launched a three-run home run off Nationals reliever Kyle Barraclough to break a 1-1 tie.
The home run was a significant one for Turner as not only gave the Dodgers a decided lead but it also was the 100th in his career with the team.
