Nationals beat Dodgers after White House visit with President Trump

WASHINGTON D.C — The Los Angeles Dodgers started the day by celebrating their 2024 World Series Championship with a visit to the White House after accepting an invitation from President Donald J. Trump. However, their night took a disappointing turn as they suffered their third loss of the season, falling 6-4 to the Washington Nationals, who secured their fourth win of the season at Nationals Park in front of 22,546 fans.

The Dodgers expected to have a better night, but left-hander Mackenzie Gore had other plans. He pitched six innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs while striking out seven batters.

Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run home run in the third inning, accounting for the only runs surrendered by Gore. After a busy morning visiting the White House, Ohtani quickly made an impact at the plate, finishing just a double short of completing the cycle.

Mookie Betts hit an RBI single in the eighth inning, bringing in Michael Conforto, who had pinch-hit for Chris Taylor. Andy Pages was given the night off after struggling offensively, managing only four hits in 34 at-bats this season.

Right-hander Dustin May pitched six innings, giving up three hits, three walks, and one earned run. In the second inning, two defensive errors were committed by Mookie Betts and Miguel Rojas, which allowed the Nationals to score two runs. Ultimately, the Dodgers lost the game by a margin of two runs.

In the seventh inning, left-hander Anthony Banda entered the game and allowed two runs on three hits in just ⅓ of an inning. Banda, with a record of 3-0 and an ERA of 3.38, leads the majors in wins, just as the Dodgers' offense is starting to heat up. So far this season, the Dodgers have achieved six comeback wins.

Before the game, the Dodgers visited the White House, where President Donald J. Trump congratulated the team on Monday morning. Most of the coaching staff and active roster were present, but Freddie Freeman was absent due to a sprained ankle. He is currently in Los Angeles recovering and looks forward to playing in the next home stand this weekend.

During his opening speech, President Trump highlighted the team's accomplishments while sharing a moment with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

"One of the greatest managers ever to wear the Dodger blue." President Trump said. 

It was a remarkable moment for the Dodgers organization, led by Mark Walter, Stan Kasten, and Andrew Friedman, as President Trump praised their great accomplishments.

“I want to congratulate you on a legendary season as I watched it very closely,” President Trump. 

President Trump acknowledged the tremendous season Shohei Ohtani had in his first season with the Dodgers, as he became the first player ever to be part of the 50-50 club with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases.

“He looks like a movie star,” President Trump said. 

Trump acknowledged several players, including Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez, Kike Hernandez, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Max Muncy, Tommy Edman, and Blake Treinen.

“As you know the Dodgers were down a lot of talent on the mound due to injuries,” President Trump. 

Treinen chose not to attend the White House celebration in 2021, despite the Dodgers winning the World Series in 2020 under former President Joe Biden. Similarly, Betts, who won a championship with the Boston Red Sox in 2018, also decided not to visit the White House in 2019 while President Trump was in his first term.

Both players traveled with their team, as Betts mentioned last week that he wanted to avoid any distractions or the perception of a political move.

“Mookie, that guy can play,” President Trump said. “I don't want to say I watched him when he was in Boston but I did. I didn't think that was a particularly good trade when they made and I happened to be right.”

The Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in five games to win the eighth World Series title in the franchise's history. President Trump has always been a fan of the Yankees, having spent many years as a businessman in New York. He also had a strong relationship with former Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

“I love the Yankees,” President Trump said. “George was a great friend of mine, he had very few friends,”

In the end, Clayton Kershaw, who is currently on the 60-day injured list, was present at the White House and presented President Trump with a Dodgers No. 47 jersey to honor the 47th president of the United States. Kershaw opened by acknowledging his teammates and coaches.

"The selflessness and humility that each one of these players and staff have shown over the last year is truly an inspiration," Kershaw said. "They have constantly played hurt, switched positions, and taken the ball to put the team first. As a spectator for our championship run last year, I was in awe of this group."

The 37-year-old did not participate in the playoffs due to an injured toe that prevented him from pitching in the last two months of the season. Kershaw finished the season with a record of 2-2 and a 4.50 ERA.

The Dodgers set a record for the best performance by a defending champion, and President Trump took note of their early success, expressing his expectation that the team will return strong next season. Although the Dodgers won their first eight games in a row, they have now lost three of their last four games.

"After seeing how successful you've begun the season, I can tell you that you can plan on being back here, I hope you can be back here next year," Trump said.