*Photo from WTOP*
The All Star game in LA was last year, yet the home run derby returned. Luis Garcia homered, Keibert Ruiz homered twice, and the Washington Nationals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-6 on Wednesday in Los Angeles.
The Nationals salvaged the series finale with the win, beating the Dodgers for just the 4th time in the last 16 games between the two. Ruiz's two homers came at a good time for the switch hitting catcher, seemingly breaking out of a slump and beating his former team as well.
Washington manager Dave Martinez said of the win that "They've got some of the better hitters in baseball, but to win the final game feels pretty good. Hopefully we figured some things out here as a club, and we come back and do it again on Friday."
Mookie Betts gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a solo home run. That quickly became 3-0 as Will Smith followed that with a two run shot. Ruiz and CJ Abrams hit solo home runs in the second for the Nationals, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Jeimer Candelario tied the game in the top of the 3rd with an RBI single, but Max Muncy made it 4-3 Dodgers in the bottom half with a bases loaded walk.
Candelario then put the Nationals ahead 5-4 in the 5th inning with a two run home run to center field. Miguel Rojas made it 5-5 in the 7th with an RBI single. Garcia gave the Nationals the lead back in the top of the 8th with a 3 run home run to make it 8-5, before a Betts solo homer in the bottom of the inning made it a 8-6 game. Ruiz then added a two run shot in the 9th to make it a 10-6 final score.
Ruiz said after the game that "It feels really good. My right-handed swing is feeling better than last year. It's a long season. Right now I’m just working hard, controlling what I can control and keeping my head up."
It was Patrick Corbin who started for the Nationals, pitching 5 innings and allowing 4 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks. Carl Edwards Jr and Kyle Finnegan each pitched an inning after Corbin left, with Hunter Harvey getting the save with two innings pitched at the end of the game.
Noah Syndergaard started for the Dodgers, getting tagged with 5 runs on 7 hits over 5 innings pitched. Alex Vesia and Caleb Ferguson each threw an inning before Brusdar Graterol got the loss with 3 runs allowed in one inning. Phil Bickford pitched the 9th and allowed two more.
Asked about his struggles, Syndergaard said that "It really sucks. Right now I just feel like I’m the weakest link on this team. I want to go out there and compete and be successful for the other guys in this clubhouse, but it’s just not working out."
Both teams have days off on Thursday before resuming play on Friday night. The Nationals will start Josiah Gray against the Philadelphia Phillies, while the Dodgers play the New York Yankees, with Clayton Kershaw starting.
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