Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 6 shutout innings help Dodgers finish sweep, defeat Nats 2-1

WASHINGTON (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched six shutout innings, and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Washington Nationals 2-1 on Thursday to complete a three-game sweep.

Teoscar Hernández homered for the Dodgers, who matched a season high with four straight wins.

Joey Meneses had three hits for Washington, which was swept for the first time this season. The Nationals scored four runs in the series and went 4 for 20 with runners in scoring position.

Los Angeles designated hitter Shohei Ohtani was 0 for 4, stopping a nine-game hitting streak and dropping his batting average from a major league-leading .371 to .358.

Yamamoto (2-1) didn’t allow a runner past second and allowed four hits and a walk while striking out seven. He had multiple runners on only in the sixth, when he gave up a pair of two-out singles before Keibert Ruiz’s inning-ending groundout.

Eddie Rosario led off the fifth with a liner just inches from Yamamoto’s head. The pitcher snared the drive as he fell to the ground, then smiled as he got up.

Evan Phillips worked a 1-2-3 ninth to remain perfect in seven save chances.

Hernández drove a 2-2 changeup into the visiting bullpen in left-center leading off the second against MacKenzie Gore (2-2).

Gore stranded two men in the second, got double-play grounders to end the following three innings and closed his outing when Kiké Hernández’s fly to center was caught by a diving Jacob Young, who then threw to first to double up Freddie Freeman.

Gore allowed one run and seven hits while striking out four in six innings.

Mookie Betts led off the eighth with a walk against Jordan Weems, stole second and scored when Freeman poked an opposite-field, one-out single to left.

Meneses had an RBI single in the eighth off ex-Nats pitcher Daniel Hudson.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: Washington activated Ruiz (influenza) from the 10-day IL and optioned C Drew Millas to Triple-A Rochester. … 3B Nick Senzel was scratched less than an hour before the game. … OF Stone Garrett (left ankle) was reinstated from the 10-day IL and optioned to Rochester. … Manager Dave Martinez said RHP Josiah Gray (elbow) could start throwing off a mound when the Nationals are in Texas early next week.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: RHP Gavin Stone (1-1, 6.00 ERA) starts Friday night’s three-game series opener at Toronto.

Nationals: RHP Trevor Williams (2-0, 2.91) starts Friday as Washington begins a four-game series at Miami.

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