After a 20-hit, 8-run outburst last night, it was only fitting for this game to end in low-scoring fashion. The Dodgers defeated the Nationals 2-1 on Thursday afternoon at Nationals Park.

Teoscar Hernandez got the Dodgers on the board in the second inning with his sixth home run of the season.

That ain’t not bad.

But the bats would be relatively quiet for most of the afternoon. Sure, they had ample opportunities to score more against Nats’ starter MacKenzie Gore, but Gore induced three consecutive double plays in the third-, fourth- and fifth innings to keep LA off the scoreboard.

Keeping the Nationals off the scoreboard was Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Sure, he got some help from the umpires…

… but, that’s how it goes in 2024, apparently. Seriously, the umpires — on the whole — have been putrid early this season all across baseball.

Freddie Freeman added the slightest bit of insurance to the Dodgers’ lead in the eighth inning with an RBI single that drove in Mookie Betts.

Daniel Hudson was summoned for the eighth inning and allowed a leadoff single to CJ Abrams, who promptly stole second base. After the all important productive out, Joey Meneses drove Abrams home with an RBI single. Evan Phillips came on for the ninth inning for a relatively uneventful save — his seventh of the campaign. That’s encouraging after his rocky outing on Monday night.

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As if Eddie Rosario wasn’t murder enough on the Dodgers in the 2021 NLCS, he tried to take out Yamamoto today with a comebacker.

Nearly 105 MPH off the bat. No big deal for Yamamoto, apparently; a heart-stopping moment for everyone else.

The win moves the Dodgers to 16-11, while the Nationals fall to 10-14. LA heads to the Great White North for a weekend tilt with the Toronto Blue Jays. Gavin Stone (1-1, 6.00 ERA, 3.04 FIP) is scheduled to take on right-hander Chris Bassitt (2-3, 3.90 ERA, 4.78 FIP). First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. Pacific time.