Wood's two-run homer helps overcome Ohtani's big night in Nationals' win over Dodgers
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WASHINGTON (AP) — James Wood hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning that helped the Washington Nationals hold off Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 on Monday night for their third straight victory.
Ohtani homered, tripled, singled and walked, finishing 3 for 4 with two RBIs.
MacKenzie Gore (1-1) pitched six solid innings for the Nationals, and Wood’s drive off reliever Anthony Banda gave them a 5-2 lead. Keibert Ruiz followed with an RBI double off Matt Sauer.
Mookie Betts and Will Smith each had a run-scoring single for Los Angeles in the eighth to cut it to 6-4, but Kyle Finnegan got five outs for his fourth save.
With two runners aboard in the ninth, Finnegan retired Betts on a game-ending grounder.
After starting 8-0, the Dodgers have lost three of four.
Ohtani tied it at 2 when he drilled a 2-0 fastball from Gore over the right-field fence for a two-run shot in the third, his fourth homer in 12 games.
Nathaniel Lowe gave Washington a 3-2 lead with an RBI single in the bottom half.
With two outs in the fifth, Ohtani’s first triple of the season caromed off the wall in right-center just above the glove of center fielder Dylan Crews.
Gore gave up two runs and five hits. He struck out seven and walked one, throwing 58 of his 100 pitches for strikes.
Dodgers starter Dustin May (0-1) allowed three runs — one earned — and three hits in six innings. He walked three, struck out one and retired his final 11 batters.
Key moment
Batting leadoff for the first time this season, Wood delivered the game’s biggest hit when he sent a slider 395 feet over the center-field wall for his second homer of the year.
Key stat
Gore struck out seven in the first four innings and has 25 strikeouts in his first three starts.
Up next
Dodgers LHP Justin Wrobleski makes his first start of the season Tuesday night in place of injured ace Blake Snell. Rookie RHP Brad Lord (0-0, 4.50 ERA) makes his first major league start for Washington.
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