Dodgers Breezing
The Los Angeles Dodgers go for a ninth straight win when they face the visiting Washington Nationals in the first of a three-game series between the teams with the best and worst records in the National League on Monday night. Los Angeles is coming off a four-game weekend sweep of the San Francisco Giants that increased its lead in the NL West to 11½ games over the second-place San Diego Padres.
Washington earned a win against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, snapping a two-game losing streak, though it is still in last place in the NL East. Before you go betting online on the series opener, read our in-depth preview of the contest.
Let’s check the latest MLB news, stats, injury reports, and MLB odds for Nationals vs Dodgers. There are plenty of MLB picks & predictions.
Nationals Prevail Despite Multiple Errors
The Washington Nationals have had their troubles both at the plate and in the field, but they were able to overcome their problems and come away with a victory on Sunday. Washington was charged with three errors and made some other questionable decisions before rallying for a 4-3 victory to avoid a sweep against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Catcher Kelbert Ruiz was 3-for-3, including an RBI single, that put the Nationals on top for good. Ruiz is batting .252 with 18 doubles, three home runs, 22 RBIs and 23 runs scored.
Outfielder Juan Soto is hearing all the trade rumors and went 0-for-2 with three walks in Sunday’s contest. Soto is batting .245 with 17 doubles, 20 home runs, 43 RBIs and 57 runs scored.
Right-hander Paolo Espino will go in the opener on Monday night, his eighth start among his 28 appearances. Espino is 0-3 with a 3.57 ERA, striking out 46 in 58 innings. He took the loss in his last outing on July 16 against the Atlanta Braves, going 5.1 innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits, including two home runs, while striking out five and walking none.
Dodgers Primed for Another Title Run
As good as the Los Angeles Dodgers have been this season, they might be playing their best baseball, recording their season-high eighth straight win on Sunday after completing a four-game sweep of the rival San Francisco Giants. Los Angeles has won 15 of its last 16 contests and is making the NL West – which looked to be the most competitive division in the National League – into a one-team race.
“Certainly, we’re hot,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Sunday’s win. “I think that to win that many games speak to that. But this is who we are when we play this type of baseball.”
As if it couldn’t get worse for the Washington Nationals on Monday, they get to face right-hander Tony Gonsolin, who is 11-0 with a 2.02 ERA. Gonsolin has 86 strikeouts in 93.2 innings and is looking to bounce back from an atypical outing in his last start. Facing the St. Louis Cardinals on July 13, Gonsolin allowed five runs on seven hits over five innings, though he took a no-decision when the Dodgers rallied to win.
Los Angeles got a big game from outfielder Trayce Thompson in Sunday’s win, as he went 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs. The brother of Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, he is batting .284 in 25 games with the Dodgers after coming to the team in a midseason trade with the Detroit Tigers, adding six doubles, a triple, two home runs, 13 RBIs and seven runs scored.
Shortstop Trea Turner is 13th in baseball with a .304 batting average and sixth with his 69 RBIs, and he should have some extra motivation against his former team in this series. Turner has five RBIs and a run scored in three games against Washington this season.
Nationals vs Dodgers Head-To-Head
The Los Angeles Dodgers are 2-1 against the Washington Nationals this season. That’s a big difference from last season, when the Dodgers swept all seven games vs. the Nationals.
Los Angeles has not lost a season series to Washington since 2014, though it has lost more than it has won against the Nationals at home in two of the last three seasons. The MLB lines for Monday’s game don’t see that being a trend that continues, with Los Angeles a heavy favorite to open with a win.
Nationals vs Dodgers Game Information
- Game: Nationals (32-65) vs Dodgers (64-30)
- Location: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
- Day/Time: Monday, July 25, 10:10 p.m. ET
- Nationals vs Dodgers Live Stream: MLB.tv
Nationals vs Dodgers Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Washington Nationals P. Espino -R | +1½ +125 | +240 | 8½Evo | 2½-155o / 2½+125u |
| Los Angeles Dodgers T. Gonsolin -R | -1½ -145 | -300 | 8½-120u | 5½-105o / 5½-125u |
Nationals vs Dodgers Prediction
The Washington Nationals had their troubles getting a single win against the worst team in the NL West over the weekend, and now they take on the best team in the league in the red-hot Los Angeles Dodgers. Gonsolin should be dominating as the Dodgers cruise to another home victory.
When making your MLB picks, take Los Angeles to get the win at home.
