Dodgers cruise past Nationals, Mookie Betts set for MRI

WASHINGTON — Another day in Washington, D.C., another reminder of just how relentless this Dodgers lineup can be — and how quickly a good afternoon can be tempered by uneasy news.

The Dodgers rolled past the Washington Nationals 10–5 on Saturday, piling up 16 hits and overwhelming Jake Irvin early. It was, in many ways, a continuation of an offense that has suddenly found its rhythm. But the postgame conversation drifted elsewhere, toward the uncertain status of Mookie Betts and a back issue that now looms over an otherwise surging club.

It didn’t take long for the Dodgers to seize control. Kyle Tucker opened the game with a single, Betts worked a walk, and Freddie Freeman did what he’s done his entire career — drive the baseball into the gap. His 549th career double brought both runners home and tied him with Chipper Jones for 32nd all-time, a milestone that felt almost secondary to the tone it set.

Freeman wasn’t finished. Another two-run double in the second inning gave him four RBIs before the game had even settled in, and the Dodgers had all the cushion they’d need.

From there, the offense kept layering. A sacrifice fly from Miguel Rojas. A challenge-assisted RBI single from Alex Call that flipped a strikeout into a run-scoring moment. And then, in the fifth, the loudest swing of the afternoon.

Andy Pages — who is rapidly forcing his way into everyday conversation — launched a three-run homer into the Dodgers bullpen. Through eight games, Pages is hitting .500 with a 1.374 OPS, and after a three-hit, three-RBI day, the question is no longer whether he’s hot — it’s how long he can stay this locked in.

Tucker added to his strong series with another RBI knock and two more walks, while Shohei Ohtani chipped in a pair of hits as he continues to settle into his rhythm. Will Smith quietly collected three singles of his own. Up and down the order, production has stopped being a question.

And on a day like this, even a strong pitching performance can get overshadowed.

Tyler Glasnow was in command again — six innings, nine strikeouts, just two runs allowed. Efficient enough to cruise, dominant enough to remind everyone why the Dodgers pitching rotation is top class. Behind him, Tanner Scott delivered a clean inning before things briefly wobbled late, including a two-run homer from CJ Abrams off Ben Casparius.

But even with a few late runs crossing, the outcome never truly felt in doubt.

What does feel uncertain is the immediate future of Betts.

He exited after the first inning with lower right back pain, something manager Dave Roberts said tightened up while Betts was running the bases. An MRI was scheduled for Saturday night, and while Roberts described the issue as “more moderate than significant,” he also acknowledged Betts is unlikely to play over the next couple of days.

It’s the kind of early-season development that doesn’t derail a team like this — not immediately, anyway. Not when the lineup is producing like this. Not when Freeman is driving in runs in bunches and Pages is emerging as a legitimate force.

But it does shift the tone.

The Dodgers have scored 23 runs in their first two games in D.C., matching what they produced over a six-game homestand last week. The offense is awake. The rotation, led by Glasnow on Saturday, looks steady. The pieces are clicking.

And yet, as they look ahead to a potential sweep behind Roki Sasaki on Sunday, the focus won’t just be on momentum.

It’ll be on the MRI.