Dodgers Seek Revenge Against Nationals in Upcoming Series

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Los Angeles Dodgers will face the Washington Nationals in a three-game series starting Friday at Dodger Stadium. The matchup marks an opportunity for the Dodgers to avenge a previous loss to the Nationals, who won their last series against L.A, 2-1, in early April.

The Dodgers, currently holding a record of 46-30, enter the series on a hot streak, having won five of their last six games. Meanwhile, the Nationals, with a record of 31-44, recently snapped an 11-game losing streak after an extra-innings victory against the Colorado Rockies.

Star pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who has a record of 2-0 and a 3.25 ERA this season, will start for Los Angeles. The Nationals have rookie pitcher MacKenzie Gore on the mound, whose performance includes a 3-6 record and a 2.89 ERA.

The first pitch is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. ET. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Dodgers are favored at -190, while the Nationals are the underdogs at +187. The over/under for total runs scored is set at 8, with the over having hit in all three previous matchups between these teams this season.

Friday’s game will be Kershaw’s first start against the Nationals in four years, and he has had limited strikeout success against Washington hitters, collecting only two strikeouts in 22 at-bats against them. Projections from the SportsLine Projection Model suggest Kershaw will register around 3.8 strikeouts during the game.

On the other side, Nationals player Joey Wood is leading the MLB with the most RBIs in the past week, tallying 11 runs batted in. His performance includes a two-homer night against the Rockies. Wood has thrived against left-handed pitchers, maintaining similar batting averages against lefties and righties this season.

Gore, having an All-Star quality season with a sub-3.00 ERA and leading the National League in strikeouts, previously struggled against Shohei Ohtani. During their last matchup in April, Ohtani nearly hit for the cycle against Gore, adding pressure on the rookie, especially as the Nationals’ bullpen struggles with the second-highest ERA in the league at 5.77.