WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 in a closely fought game at Nationals Park on Monday, April 7, 2025, improving their record to 4-6. The Dodgers, now 9-3, saw their early-season momentum stall despite a late rally sparked by Shohei Ohtani’s three-hit performance. Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore earned the win, moving to 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA, while Dodgers starter Dustin May took the loss, dropping to 0-1 despite a 0.82 ERA. Kyle Finnegan secured his fourth save of the season for Washington.
The Nationals struck first in the second inning, taking a 2-0 lead on a double by Keibert Ruiz and a single from Nathaniel Lowe. The Dodgers responded in the third when Ohtani launched a two-run homer off Gore, his fourth of the season, tying the game at 2-2 with Mookie Betts on base. Washington regained the lead in the same inning as Lane Thomas Wood stole second and scored on a fielding error by Betts, making it 3-2.
The game remained tight until the seventh, when Wood’s two-run homer off Dodgers reliever Anthony Banda extended the Nationals’ lead to 5-2. A double by Ruiz off Adam Sauer later in the inning pushed the score to 6-2. The Dodgers mounted a comeback in the eighth, with Ohtani tripling and scoring on a Will Smith single, followed by a Betts RBI to narrow the gap to 6-4. Finnegan, entering with two runners on, limited the damage and closed out the game in the ninth, striking out two.
Gore pitched six innings for Washington, allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. May went six innings for Los Angeles, giving up three runs—two earned—on three hits while striking out three. Banda struggled in relief, surrendering two runs in just 0.1 innings, while Sauer allowed one run over 1.2 innings. For the Nationals, Eduardo Salazar and Lucas Sims bridged the gap to Finnegan, who finished with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.
Ohtani led the Dodgers’ offense, going 3-for-4 with a triple, a homer, and two RBIs, raising his batting average to .311. Betts added a 1-for-4 night with an RBI, while Smith went 1-for-4 with an RBI. For Washington, Wood’s 1-for-3 performance included the decisive homer, and Ruiz went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Luis García Jr. contributed two hits and scored twice.
Defensively, the Dodgers committed two errors—by Betts and Miguel Rojas—while the Nationals played a clean game, turning a double play to stifle a Dodgers threat. Washington also capitalized on the basepaths, with Wood, García Jr., and Amed Rosario each stealing a base.
The Dodgers, third in the NL West, left seven runners on base and went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position. The Nationals, fourth in the NL East, were more efficient, going 4-for-16 in similar situations. The game, attended by 22,546 fans, lasted 2 hours and 34 minutes under cloudy skies with a temperature of 45 degrees.
Up next, the Nationals and Dodgers continue their series at Nationals Park, with both teams looking to adjust after this opener. The loss snaps a strong start for Los Angeles, while Washington builds momentum in a season still taking shape.
