WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rookies Landon Knack (1-1) and Andy Pages made a huge impact on the Dodgers huge 11-2 victory over the Nationals.
Knack, the young right-hander, tossed six innings of two-run baseball, while only allowing three hits to go along with three walks and five strikeouts. On the other hand, the Dodgers finally tagged right-hander Jake Irvin of the Nationals for six earned runs after he pitched well last week.
This was the best offensive performance of the season for Los Angeles, as they put up 20 hits with five players in the lineup having multi-hit games.
The Dodgers are now 15-11 on the season and first in the National League West.
Here are my three takeaways:
Offense Flexes Its Muscles
Mookie Betts went 4 for 6 with two RBI, Ohtani went 3 for 6 with two RBI, Will Smith went 4 for 6 with an RBI and Andy Pages went 3 for 5 with three runs scored.
When you have that many players get three hits or more, you are bound to win baseball games, and it is amazing to see this incredibly talented roster break out in a huge way.
With runners in scoring position, the team was a collective 7 for 15, which is just under .500. After a shaky last couple of weeks at the plate for mostly everyone on the Dodgers, it is a sigh of relief to finally perform up to expectations at the dish.
The Rookies Come Through
The Dodgers needed a revenge victory against the Nationals after they took two out of three games in the last series at Dodger Stadium. So, the team put their trust into their rookie starter, Landon Knack, and he delivered.
In 94 pitches, he got his first major league win and looked dominant in doing so. His changeup and fastball were working all night and fans got to see what another future piece of the rotation could look like.
As for the phenom Andy Pages, well it was yet another great day at the plate. He went 3 for 5 to raise his once low batting average to .259. Pages looks more and more comfortable at the plate with more time under his belt at the major league level.
If he can continue this hot stretch, he should stay with the big league team over Chris Taylor, as hot of a take as that sounds.
Bullpen Cruises To Close Game
During the mini skid the Dodgers were in, the bullpen was a big concern across the board. On Wednesday, Ryan Brasier and Ryan Yarbrough got back on track, throwing three scoreless innings without allowing a baserunner to end the game.
Brasier had been up and down and saw his ERA rise to over five, but showed signs of the 2023 arm that Dodger fans came to know and love on Wednesday night.
Yarbrough has been steady, albeit with some shaky outings, but was in a groove over his two innings to finish the game. The crafty lefty was throwing frisbees at the plate and the Nationals hitters could not touch it. It is a good step in the right direction for a bullpen that needs to get it together.
The Dodgers finish off this three game series with a chance to sweep on Thursday. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take the mound against Mackenzie Gore for the Nationals. First pitch is set for 1:05 PM PST.
