Luis Garcia hit a tie-breaking three-run homer in the eighth inning, Keibert Ruiz went deep twice, and the visiting Washington Nationals used five homers to earn a 10-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday to avoid a three-game series sweep.
CJ Abrams and Jeimer Candelario also hit home runs for the Nationals, while Joey Meneses had three hits. The victory ended a three-game losing streak for Washington.
Mookie Betts hit two home runs and Will Smith also went deep but the Dodgers lost for the second time in 15 home games. Dodgers right-hander Noah Syndergaard gave up five runs on seven hits in five innings, including three home runs.
Dodgers right-hander Brusdar Graterol (2-2) was his own worst enemy in the eighth inning. In a 5-5 game, he hit Ruiz with a pitch, had a throwing error on a comebacker from Abrams and was one strike away from escaping trouble when Garcia hit a home run to right for an 8-5 lead.
The Dodgers jumped in front quickly, taking a 3-0 lead three batters into the game on a leadoff home run from Betts, a single from Freddie Freeman and a two-run shot from Smith.
Freeman extended his hitting streak to 20 games for the second time in his career, behind his career-best 30 games in 2016. Freeman also stole two bases as the Dodgers had six steals.
Ruiz hit a solo home run for Washington in the second inning and Abrams followed with one of his own to get the Nationals within a run. Washington tied it 3-3 in the third on an RBI single from Candelario.
The Dodgers loaded the bases with nobody out in the third but scored just one run on a Max Muncy walk for a 4-3 lead.
The Nationals jumped in front for the first time in the fifth inning, taking a 5-4 lead on a two-run home run from Candelario. The Dodgers tied it 5-5 in the seventh on an RBI single from Rojas.
Betts hit his second home run of the day, and 13th of the season, in the eighth inning. Ruiz hit his second of the day, and seventh of the season, in the ninth. Ruiz hit three home runs in the last two games against his former club.
Washington right-hander Kyle Finnegan (2-2) gave up two runs but picked up the win.
–Field Level Media
