Nationals tackle Dodgers as long road trip continues

Field Level Media|published: Tue 16th April, 01:10 2024

Apr 15, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Mitchell Parker (42) pitches during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. All players wore #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. credits: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Left-hander Mitchell Parker went five strong innings in his major league debut and Luis Garcia Jr. hit a three-run home run as the Washington Nationals earned a 6-4 victory over the host Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night.

CJ Abrams also hit a home run and Joey Gallo added an RBI double against his former team as the Nationals improved to 4-3 on a nine-game California road trip.

Parker (1-0), a fifth-round draft pick by Washington in 2020, allowed two runs on four hits. He didn't issue a walk and struck out four. Right-hander Kyle Finnegan pitched a perfect ninth inning for his sixth save.

Will Smith drove in a pair of runs for Los Angeles. Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow gave up a season-high six runs in five innings after he matched a career high with 14 strikeouts in his most recent start against the Minnesota Twins last Tuesday.

Chris Taylor brought home a run for Los Angeles on a sacrifice fly after he entered Monday without a hit in his previous 27 at-bats.

The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Abrams led off the game with a double, moved to third on a Lane Thomas groundout and scored on a wild pitch by Glasnow.

The Dodgers moved in front, 2-1, on a Smith sacrifice fly in the first inning and Taylor's sacrifice fly in the second.

Washington took the lead for good in the third inning at 3-2 when Abrams led off with a home run, his fourth of the season, and Gallo doubled to score Jesse Winker, who doubled two batters earlier.

In the fifth inning, Winker singled before Gallo walked with two outs. Garcia blasted his first home run of the year on a full-count slider from Glasnow for a 6-2 advantage.

The Dodgers cut the deficit to 6-3 in the sixth with an RBI groundout from Smith. Los Angeles finally got its first run-scoring hit when Max Muncy doubled in the eighth inning against right-hander Hunter Harvey, bringing home Teoscar Hernandez to make it 6-4.

Dodgers right-hander Ricky Vanasco made his major league debut in the eighth and delivered two scoreless innings with a strikeout.

—Field Level Media