The Los Angeles Dodgers rode Shohei Ohtani's performance to a three-game winning streak. Kim Hye-seong was called up to the major leagues and entered the game as a defensive substitute.
The Dodgers secured an 8-6 come-from-behind victory over the Washington Nationals on the 6th (KST) at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. With the win, they completed a series sweep of the three-game set against Washington.
With regular shortstop Mookie Betts injured, the Dodgers that day placed Betts on the 10-day injured list and called up Kim Hye-seong from Triple-A in the minor leagues. Kim did not make the starting lineup but entered in the eighth inning as a defensive replacement at second base.
The Dodgers' starting lineup was Shohei Ohtani (designated hitter), Miguel Rojas (shortstop), Teoscar Hernández (left field), Freddie Freeman (first base), Andy Pages (center field), Alex Call (right field), Santiago Espinal (third base), Dalton Rushing (catcher) and Alex Verdugo (second base). Ohtani (season No. 2), Rushing (season No. 1) and Hernández (season No. 1) hit home runs, and Ohtani and Call had multi-hit games. Ohtani delivered the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.
Starting pitcher Roki Sasaki was battered for five runs in five innings on five hits (two home runs), three walks and five strikeouts. The bullpen — Alex Vesia (one scoreless inning), Jack Leathersich (one scoreless inning), Tanner Scott (one scoreless inning) and Edwin Díaz (one scoreless inning) — pitched strongly to set the stage for the team's victory. Díaz recorded his third save of the season.
Washington started James Wood (right field), Nassim Nunez (second base), Luis García Jr. (first base), Dairon Varas (left field), Joey Wiemer (center field), CJ Abrams (shortstop), Jorge Vivas (third base), Keibert Ruiz (catcher) and José Tena (designated hitter). García Jr. (season No. 1) and Wood (season No. 2) hit home runs to drive the team's offense.
Starting pitcher Foster Griffin pitched well with five innings, five hits (one home run), three walks, six strikeouts and one run allowed, but the bullpen blew the lead. The relievers — P.J. Polin (two innings, two runs), Kionel Pérez (0 innings, four runs), Clayton Beeter (1 2/3 innings, one run) and André Gragnol (1/3 inning, scoreless) — could not preserve the win.
In the top of the third, with one out, Ohtani opened the scoring with a solo home run. After consecutive hits by Rojas and Hernández put runners at first and second with one out, Freeman was retired on a fly to left and Pages struck out swinging.
In the bottom of the third, with one out, Wood drew a walk. Nunez was retired on a fly to center, but García Jr. hit a two-run homer to turn the game around.
The Washington lineup that had taken the lead erupted in the fourth. With one out, Abrams reached on a walk and advanced to second on a steal, and Vivas struck out. Ruiz hit an RBI single and Tena delivered a hit to create a two-out, runners at first and second consolidation. Wood hit a three-run homer to make it 6-1.
In the top of the sixth, with one out, Call hit a double. With Espinal's advancement putting runners in scoring position, Rushing hit a two-run homer to start the comeback.
The Dodgers' offense shone again in the eighth. Leadoff hitter Freeman reached on a hit, and Pages' double and Call's walk produced a bases-loaded, nobody out chance. Espinal delivered a two-run RBI that cut the deficit to one. Pinch-hitter Will Smith drew a walk. Pinch-hitter Kyle Tucker hit an RBI groundout to tie the game, and Ohtani delivered a sacrifice fly for another run to regain the lead.
In the bottom of the eighth, Kim Hye-seong came in at second base for Tucker. In the ninth, Hernández hit a solo home run to put the game away.
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