High-Riding Dodgers Set to Face Off Against Struggling Nationals
The Los Angeles Dodgers have yet to finish their series with the San Diego Padres, as the final game of a four-game set takes place tonight at 7:10 P.M. PST, with ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto getting the ball for the men in blue. They look to grab a series sweep of the Padres with a win after gutting out an overall team win last night. Los Angeles will have to quickly shift their focus to the upcoming weekend series with the Washington Nationals as the Dodgers' homestand continues. The two teams are on opposite sides of the spectrum in terms of recent performances. The Dodgers are 8-2 in their last 10 games, riding a five-game winning streak and looking to make it six tonight. Meanwhile, the Nationals are 3-14 in June and have lost 11 out of their last 12 games coming into this series. This will be the second series of the season between the two, with the Nationals taking the first series.
Friday 6/20 - 7:10 P.M. PST
To kick off the series, it will be a battle of two left-handers, with Clayton Kershaw getting the ball for the Dodgers and MacKenzie Gore, the ace of the Nationals' staff, landing with the starting nod. Kershaw has been brilliant in his last five appearances since his brutal 2025 debut start, recording a 2-0 record with an ERA of 1.90 and 18 strikeouts in 23.2 innings of work. Gore enters the matchup having an All-Star caliber year, with a 3-6 record with an ERA of 2.89 and 119 strikeouts in 15 appearances this season. He has already faced these Dodgers this season, going six innings, striking out seven, allowing just two runs and five hits in a win.
Saturday 6/21 - 7:10 P.M. PST
In Saturday night’s matchup, it will be Dustin May taking the mound for Los Angeles, looking to build off a relatively quality start that took place in his last appearance, as he went six innings, allowing three runs and striking out three against the San Francisco Giants. He faced the Nationals in the two teams' first series of the year, pitching six innings, allowing three runs, one of which was earned, and striking out just one National in that appearance. Now, the Nationals will throw out Jake Irvin, who is in his third year as a pitcher. He has a career 4.43 ERA while carrying a 4.23 ERA this season with a 5-3 record. Irvin will be making his sixth career appearance against the Dodgers, holding an ERA of 4.88 and 23 strikeouts in the previous five appearances. Los Angeles has already seen Irvin this season, where he delivered six innings of work, striking out seven and allowing four runs.
Sunday 6/22 - 1:10 P.M. PST
Regardless of it being a Sunday afternoon in the hot summer sun, many will be in attendance for this kind of special appearance as Shohei Ohtani will make his second start of the 2025 season on the mound. Ohtani made his season debut Monday night, pitching just one inning, allowing one run and two hits. Rust was a factor throughout the appearance, but Ohtani will look to bounce back; it is unclear as of now how much of a workload he will have come Sunday. The Nationals will throw out Michael Soroka, the first righty starting pitcher the Dodgers will face in the series. Soroka has come a long way. After being a rising star in 2019, he has battled multiple season-ending injuries just to get back into the position he is in today with the Nationals. He has a 3-5 record with an ERA of 5.06 and 49 strikeouts in 9 appearances this season, struggling mightily in his last two appearances. Soroka faced the Dodgers as a member of the Chicago White Sox last season, striking out seven in just three innings of work.
Offensive Outlook
The Dodgers’ offense will look to be the main factor in this series, as they have been scorching hot, scoring at least five runs in seven out of their last 10 games. Andy Pages has been one of the main catalysts, recording a .344 batting average with 11 hits, three home runs, 11 RBIs, and 10 runs scored in 10 games. Will Smith and Freddie Freeman will look to continue their great seasons as the duo is number one and two in batting average in the National League. One person to watch for who can get his bat going is Mookie Betts, who has struggled immensely over his last 10 games, having a batting average of .158 with six hits, a homer, four RBIs, and three runs scored.
