Ohtani homers, delivers go-ahead sacrifice fly as Dodgers complete sweep of Nationals, 8-6

Teoscar Hernández and Dalton Rushing also homered for Los Angeles, which has won four of its last five.

Luis García Jr. and James Wood went deep for Washington, which has lost its last five.

The Dodgers scored four runs in the eighth off Cionel Perez (0-1), who loaded the bases before Santiago Espinal laced a two-run single to left-center. Perez was pulled without retiring a batter after he walked Will Smith, and Clayton Beeter surrendered Kyle Tucker’s RBI fielder’s choice to tie it at 6-6.

Ohtani then lifted a fly to left that brought in Espinal to make it 7-6. Ohtani went 2 for 4 and finished the series 6 for 15 with two homers and six RBIs. He has 17 RBIs in 17 games against the Nationals since joining the Dodgers.

Jack Dreyer (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh for Los Angeles. Edwin Diaz worked the ninth for his third save.

Ohtani opened the scoring with a line shot to center in the third inning against Nationals starter Foster Griffin. It was the Dodgers’ only run against Griffin, who struck out six in five innings.

García hit a two-run blast in the third against Roki Sasaki, while Wood broke out of a 1-for-16 slump with a three-run shot in the fourth to make it 6-1.

Sasaki allowed six runs in five innings. He struck out five.

The Dodgers played for the first time this season without shortstop Mookie Betts, who was placed on the injured list with a right oblique strain.

The game began after a rain delay of two-plus hours.

Up next

Justin Wrobleski (0-0, 6.75 ERA) starts for Los Angeles against Max Scherzer (1-0, 1.50) the opener of a three-game series at Toronto.

Washington’s Zack Littell (0-1, 5.40) starts Monday at home against St. Louis starter Andre Pallante (1-0, 0.00).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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