Dodgers outlast rain, defeat Nationals 7-3 to extend NL West lead to 13 games

By: Patrick Stevens, The Associated Press Posted: 4:52 PM CDT Sunday, Sep. 10, 2023 Last Modified: 5:42 PM CDT Sunday, Sep. 10, 2023

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WASHINGTON (AP) — James Outman homered, and the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers moved closer to a division title Sunday with a 7-3 victory over the Washington Nationals.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — James Outman homered, and the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers moved closer to a division title Sunday with a 7-3 victory over the Washington Nationals.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — James Outman homered, and the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers moved closer to a division title Sunday with a 7-3 victory over the Washington Nationals.

Jason Heyward drove in two for Los Angeles, which leads Arizona by 13 games in the NL West. The Dodgers, who hold the tiebreaker over the Diamondbacks, reduced their magic number to clinch the division to six.

“It’s nice to have this series because we have a job to get done, which is clinching the division here in a couple days, hopefully,” said shortstop Miguel Rojas, who had his first four-hit game since April 20, 2021. “That’s our goal right now.”

Washington Nationals' Keibert Ruiz, left, and Ildemaro Vargas (14) celebrate in the rain after they scored on a single hit by Drew Millas during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Nationals Park, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Last-place Washington has dropped 10 of 13.

Rain halted play for 58 minutes in the top of the fifth inning, the third consecutive day the teams endured a delay. The Dodgers’ victory on Friday was delayed 1 hour, 34 minutes in the seventh, while Washington’s 11-inning triumph Saturday started 4 hours, 10 minutes late.

Los Angeles went 3-3 on a road trip that began in Miami.

“I think right now we’re all emotionally (and) physically spent,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Happy to come away with what we did on this road trip and get home and get back to some good weather.”

Sunday’s stoppage came just after Rojas’ bases-loaded single off newly inserted reliever Mason Thompson to bump Los Angeles’ lead to 5-2. Austin Barnes hit a sacrifice fly after play resumed.

Wander Suero (1-0), whose contract was selected before the game, allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings to earn his first big-league victory since he pitched for Washington in 2021.

The Dodgers took the lead against Washington starter Trevor Williams (6-10) on Heyward’s two-out, two-run single in the first.

Outman led off the second with his 19th home run.

“I thought that was the only misexecuted pitch I threw today,” Williams said. “We were trying to do what we did the second at-bat for the strikeout. It’s a lazy first pitch to a guy that we know that is swinging early and it’s just a lazy first pitch that he took advantage of.”

Williams then loaded the bases with one out, and his 1-2 fastball hit David Peralta to force in a run. Peralta suffered a bruised left elbow and left the game. Roberts said X-rays were negative.

Washington catcher Drew Millas hit a two-run single off Los Angeles starter Ryan Yarbrough in the fourth.

Yarbrough allowed two runs and struck out five in four innings.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman (5) scores on a single by Jason Heyward during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Williams surrendered six runs in 4 1/3 innings. The right-hander has not completed five innings in five of his last seven starts.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: 2B/OF Mookie Betts (bone bruise) returned to the lineup and went 0 for 4. Betts missed two games after fouling a ball off his left foot Thursday. “He doesn’t really have any residual soreness and feels good, so I’m excited to get him back in the lineup,” Roberts said. … Los Angeles placed RHP Gus Varland (right knee inflammation) on the injured list.

Nationals: SS CJ Abrams was out of the lineup a day after bumping his knee while sliding. Manager Dave Martinez said he was available off the bench. … RHP Josiah Gray is scheduled to pitch Thursday in Pittsburgh, his first outing in 11 days. “I just want to give him a break,” Martinez said. “I don’t want to shut him down. We want to keep him on schedule to throw about 160 innings.” Gray has thrown 141 2/3 innings in 27 starts.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (12-4, 2.61 ERA), who is 6-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 10 starts since June 2, gets the nod as Los Angeles returns home Monday to face San Diego.

Nationals: LHP Patrick Corbin (9-13, 5.23) starts the opener of a four-game series at Pittsburgh. Corbin is 5-3 with a 3.07 ERA lifetime against the Pirates.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb