WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals handed the Los Angeles Dodgers an 8-2 defeat on April 8, 2025, at Nationals Park, capitalizing on a potent offensive outburst and solid pitching to improve to 5-6 in the National League East. The Dodgers, now 9-4 and third in the NL West, struggled to find their rhythm against a Nationals lineup that jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.
James Wood powered the Nationals’ attack, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs. His first blast, a two-run shot in the first inning off Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski, set the tone, while his second, a three-run homer in the fourth, extended Washington’s lead to 8-0. Keibert Ruiz added two RBIs with a 2-for-4 performance, and Alex Call chipped in with an RBI single, helping the Nationals build an insurmountable advantage.
Colin Poche earned the win in relief for Washington, improving to 1-2 despite a 20.25 ERA. Poche pitched a scoreless fourth inning, striking out all three batters he faced. Starter Trevor Lord threw three shutout innings, allowing two hits, while relievers Vinny Ribalta and Jackson Rutledge limited the Dodgers to two runs over the final six frames. Ribalta notched his first hold, and Rutledge closed out the game.
Wrobleski took the loss for Los Angeles, falling to 0-1 with a 14.40 ERA after surrendering eight runs on eight hits in five innings. His struggles included Wood’s two homers and a double by Amed Rosario. Dodgers relievers Ben Casparius and Luis García held the Nationals scoreless over the final three innings, but the damage was already done.
The Nationals struck early and often. In the first, Call singled and scored with Wood on the latter’s homer. The second inning saw Crews and Young single, setting up Ruiz’s two-run single for a 5-0 lead. Wood’s three-run shot in the fourth, following singles by Crews and Young, capped Washington’s scoring. The Dodgers answered with solo home runs by Andy Pages in the fifth and Kiké Hernández in the eighth, but they left 12 runners on base and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Defensively, the Nationals were sharp aside from a fielding error by Rosario at third base. Crews stole a base, adding to Washington’s aggressive play. The Dodgers, error-free in the field, couldn’t overcome their offensive woes, with stars like Shohei Ohtani (1-for-5) and Mookie Betts (1-for-2) unable to spark a rally.
Washington’s early dominance mirrored a trend noted by MLB.com, with the Nationals averaging 4.8 runs in the first four innings this season. For the Dodgers, ESPN.com highlighted Wrobleski’s rocky transition to the majors, with the rookie allowing 14 earned runs across his first two starts.
The game, played before 24,847 fans under clear 46-degree skies, lasted 2 hours and 36 minutes, starting at 6:45 p.m. The wind, blowing 17 mph from left to right, didn’t deter Wood’s power display. Both teams remain mid-pack in their divisions, with the Nationals fourth in the NL East and the Dodgers third in the NL West.
