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The National League-leading Los Angeles Dodgers will clash with the Washington Nationals for the second game of their three-game series in the Nation's capital. The Dodgers are on a seven-game win-streak and are looking as dangerous as they looked in the preseason.
The Nationals, meanwhile, are floundering, as expected, with a 13-28 record that places them dead-last in the National League East standings. They are 5-15 on their home field, and if things turn out as expected, the writing appears to be on the wall for the Nats.
Match Details
Fixture: Los Angeles Dodgers vs Washington Nationals.
Date & Time: Tuesday, May 24, 7:05 PM EDT.
Venue: Nationals Park, Washington, DC.
Los Angeles Dodgers Preview
The Los Angeles Dodgers are smoking hot at the moment. They boast a seven-game win-streak and have the best record in the National League at 27-12. That is thanks in no small part to their superior pitching and batting over the past few weeks.
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They lead the majors in ERA with just 2.83 and have only issued 109 earned runs through 39 games this season. On the batting side of things, they boast a league-best .750 OPS and 197 RBIs. It should be a stroll at Nationals Park for the Dodgers in this one.
Key Player - Trea Turner
It hasn't been long since Trea Turner donned the Washington Nationals jersey. The 2021 All-Star shortstop was a stud in the Nationals' team that won the 2019 World Series crown. Now a steady hand in both the offense and defense of the Dodgers, the 28-year-old is one of the lynchpins in the Dodgers' lineup.
"Trea Turner kept his bat on that swing and lined a single into center field. Extends his hitting streak to 13 games." - @ Dodger Blue
Turner boasts a .280/.347/.400 slash line with an OPS of .747 with 28 RBIs, ten doubles and a triple on 42 base hits. You can bet on him to impress in this game against his old ball club.
Los Angeles Dodgers Projected Lineup
Starting Pitcher: Walker Buehler.
- Mookie Betts, RF
- Freddie Freeman, 1B
- Trea Turner, SS
- Will Smith, C
- Max Muncy, DH
- Justin Turner, 3B
- Cody Bellinger, CF
- Chris Taylor, LF
- Gavin Lux, 2B.
Washington Nationals Preview
The Washington Nationals are plum last in the NL East. That doesn't come as a surprise, as they are still in the rebuilding phase off their 2019 World Series championship squad fire sale.
The Nationals' batting crew has been respectable and are one of the better hitting teams in baseball with a collective average of .249. However, they can't seem to capitalize on opportunities, as they've only scored 159 runs so far.
Their pitching, meanwhile, has been abyssmal. They have given up an ERA of 5.01 and have issued 46 homers against opposition batters this campaign. It would be a tall order for them to at least look respectable on the mound against one of the best offenses in the league.
Key Player - Josh Bell
Former All-Star Josh Bell has stepped up during the early stages of the season after Nats star Juan Soto's recent slump. Bell carries a .301/.392/.434 slash line with an OPS of .826. He has seven doubles and 22 RBIs on 43 base hits so far this season.
""H'e's back to doing what he does, even better, at a higher clip..." @markdero7 dove into the details of Josh Bell's scorching start for the @Nationals. #MLBCentral" - @ MLB Network
With their pitching already in shambles, watch out for Bell and the Washington Nationals batting order to try and cook something up against a Walker Buehler-led Dodgers pitching crew.
Washington Nationals Projected Lineup
Starting Pitcher: Josiah Gray.
- Cesar Hernandez, 2B
- Juan Soto, RF
- Josh Bell, 1B
- Nelson Cruz, DH
- Yadiel Hernandez, LF
- Keibert Ruiz, C
- Maikel Franco, 3B
- Alcides Escobar, SS
- Victor Robles, CF.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Washington Nationals Prediction
This game should be straightforward for the Dodgers, given their supreme form of late.
It will be a battle of the young guns on the mound as Walker Buehler faces former teammate Josiah Gray. However, given the well-documented woes of the Nats, it's expected that Gray and their pitching crew could have a tough time against the Blue Crew.
The Dodgers to win, 9-1.
Where to follow Dodgers vs Nationals?
Watch: SportsNet LA (Dodgers), MASN 2 (Nationals).
Listen: Dodgers Radio AM570, KTNQ 1020 (Dodgers), WJFK 106.7 The Fan (Nationals).
