Dodgers lose to Nationals as season enters last month and a half- August 2015
The Dodgers came into the game vs. the Washington Nationals not having to face Max Scherzer or Stephen Strasburg but got off to a shaky start as starter Brett Anderson didn’t fare too well allowing 7 runs on 10 hits in 5 innings. Ian Desmond led the attack with 3 hits including 2 home runs (one off Anderson and the other off of reliver JP Howell). Michael Taylor also had 3 hits to lead a balanced attack in this blowout game. Gio Gonzalez improved to 9-4 as he pitched 8 innings of scoreless ball. Only Carl Crawford’s 3 run home run in the 9th off Doug Fister helped avoid the shutout. Bryce Harper has been on a tear leading the league in HR’s and second in batting average to keep this under-performing team close to the playoffs. He has carried the offense and is a top MVP candidate finally living up to his potential.
With the team they have, injuries have played a part but many players are having off years as they were a top pick to be atop the National League. They trail the Mets in the Division race and are not in a wild card position at this time. The Nationals have been hit pretty hard with injuries, which has affected their consistency. While some of those returning bats have faired well at hitting home runs, they’re not getting regular hits. Ian Desmond has 15 home runs on the year, but is hitting just .225; Ryan Zimmerman has nine homers on the year, four since the All-Star break, but is hitting just .219. Jason Werth is hitting under .200 and many others are playing below average. The pitching has been ok but not nearly as great as thought.
The Dodgers have now lost four in a row but Greinke and Kershaw are coming to the rescue the next 2 nights as they have been dominating of late. LA has had its own share of injuries with key players Justin Turner, Howie Kendrick and Carl Crawford missing many games of late. The team is still in first place with a little more than a month to go in the season as the SF Giants are their main contender for the division title. They have a big series vs. San Francisco August 31st for 3 games at Dodger Stadium.