Friday, June 20, 2025

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2025

After an emotionally charged series against the San  Diego Padres, many pundits worried the Dodgers would have an emotional letdown. But nope. Clayton Kershaw pitched well for five innings and allowed two runs. Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas supplied the offense. Alex Vesia, Jack Dreyer, Kirby Yates, and Tanner Scott did their jobs. On a picturesque Friday night at Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Washington Nationals 6-to-5 to maintain their lead in the National League Western Division.

Clayton Kershaw allowed a solo home run with an out in the first but retired the last two hitters of the inning.

Shohei Ohtani walked to open the first but was left.

Kershaw issued a walk to start the second and allowed a single with an out. Thanks to a double play, he escaped from the second scorelessly.

Andy Pages had a lead-off single but was caught stealing. The Dodgers didn’t do anything offensively in the second.

Kershaw issued a walk with an out in the third and allowed a single. He escaped from the jam scorelessly.

In the fourth, Kiké Hernández doubled, and Ohtani walked. Hernández scored on Mookie Betts’ grounder. Will Smith walked. Teoscar Hernández had an infield single and an error that scored Betts. Pages singled in Smith. The Dodgers didn’t score any more.

On six pitches, Kershaw was perfect in the fourth.

With two outs in the fourth, Miguel Rojas doubled and went to third on a wild pitch. Ohtani singled in Rojas.

Kershaw allowed a solo home run to start the fifth. He allowed a single. He escaped from the inning without allowing any more runs.

The Dodgers didn’t do anything offensively in the fifth.

Michael Kopech relieved Kershaw in the sixth with a perfect inning.

Kiké Hernández walked with two outs in the sixth, and Rojas blasted a two-run homer.

Alex Vesia relieved Kopech in the seventh and plunked a batter. He allowed a single with one out. He issued a walk to load the bases.

With two outs in the seventh, Kirby Yates relieved Vesia with a two-run double. Thanks to a diving catch by Michael Conforto, Yates got out of the inning.  

Betts doubled to begin the seventh, and Smith walked. Pages grounded into a force play to erase Smith. The Dodgers wasted another scoring opportunity.

Jack Dreyer relieved Yates in the eighth with a perfect inning.

With an out in the eighth, Kiké Hernández doubled and went to third on a wild pitch. Max Muncy walked. The Dodgers wasted another scoring opportunity.

Tanner Scott relieved Dreyer in the ninth and allowed a solo home run with an out. He earned the save.