Nationals roll through the Dodgers again

WASHINGTON D.C. — After starting the season 8-0, the Dodgers have since struggled, losing four of their last five games. The Nationals overwhelmed the Dodgers with an 8-2 victory on Tuesday night at Nationals Park.

The Dodgers promoted left-hander Justin Wrobleski to assist on the mound as Dave Roberts was deciding between a bullpen game or a call-up from the minors. Right-handed pitcher Matt Sauer was optioned back to Triple-A.

James Wood hit two home runs off Wrobleski, both on the first pitch. Keibert Ruiz contributed a two-run single in the second inning, bringing his RBI total for the season to nine.

Wrobleski made his season debut, pitching five innings. He allowed eight hits and eight earned runs. One of the three walks he issued was with the bases loaded, which contributed to a three-run inning. Wrobleski threw 87 pitches and recorded four strikeouts.

“There's some things I need to clean up,” Wrobleski said. “I have to talk to some coaches and talk to some people,”

Right-hander Brad Lord started for the Nationals and pitched three innings, allowing two hits and no runs while striking out four batters on 55 pitches. The Dodgers struck out a total of 15 times, which left Roberts dissatisfied with his players' approach.

The Dodgers' offense was generated by two swings, as Kike Hernandez and Andy Pages each hit solo home runs, accounting for the only two runs scored in the game. For Hernandez, all four of his hits this season have been home runs. Pages, who has struggled early in the season, managed to hit his first home run and also recorded his first multi-hit game this season, including an infield hit. Up to that point, he had only collected four hits throughout the first 12 games of the season.

“I was very grateful,” Pages said. “Getting some results is great,”

The Dodgers are facing early season injuries to two of their top players: Blake Snell, who recently signed a five-year contract worth $182 million, and World Series MVP Freddie Freeman.

Snell has been placed on the injured list due to inflammation in his left shoulder, an issue he has been dealing with since the beginning of the season. He is expected to start throwing again next week when the Dodgers return to Los Angeles. Snell is not anticipated to miss significant time and should be cleared to return within one to two weeks.

The Dodgers are missing Freddie Freeman's production and leadership in the clubhouse, but he is expected to return soon. He is cleared to play as early as Friday when the Dodgers play the Chicago Cubs in a three-game series at Dodger Stadium. So far this season, Freeman has only participated in three games, all against the Detroit Tigers, during which he hit two home runs, drove in four RBIs, and finished with a batting average of 3-for-12.

The 35-year-old recently underwent ankle surgery after reinjuring his ankle by slipping in the shower at home. He did not play during the series at Dodger Stadium against his former team, the Atlanta Braves, and the Dodgers swept the Braves without him in the lineup. However, the Dodgers went on to lose four of their next five games.

Freeman's X-rays returned negative, showing no damage to the ankle on which he had surgery. He underwent debridement surgery in December to remove loose bodies in the ankle after suffering a sprain in late September. This is the first instance this season that the ankle has caused him to miss games, although he did miss several games during the Dodgers' postseason run last year.

The Dodgers will finish their road trip against the Nationals in an afternoon game. Right-hander Landon Knack will make his first start this season for the Dodgers, while the Nationals will start right-hander Jake Irvin.