Suddenly slumping Dodgers look to regain footing vs. Nationals

After a blazing start to the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers will look to snap out of a cold spell on Tuesday night when they visit the Washington Nationals.

Los Angeles began the season with eight straight wins but since has dropped three of four games, including Monday's 6-4 defeat to Washington in the series opener.

Following the club's trip to the White House earlier in the day to celebrate last season's World Series win, the Dodgers' sloppy defense and poor relief pitching were on display in the loss.

Shohei Ohtani was a double shy of hitting for the cycle and launched his fourth homer of the season, but Los Angeles committed two errors and surrendered a three-run seventh inning to the Nationals.

"Our guys are going out there preparing to win, preparing to play well," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "It just seems like each night there are some things fundamentally that we're just not playing clean baseball. ... We've just got to keep playing, keep preparing and we'll be fine."

Ohtani's batting average jumped to .311 with his three-hit performance on Monday. Will Smith (.400) paces the team at the plate, while Tommy Edman leads Los Angeles in homers with five.

Making his season debut on the mound on Tuesday will be 24-year-old left-hander Justin Wrobleski, who was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to the series opener.

Wrobleski struck out three over 5 2/3 scoreless innings in his lone minor league start last Tuesday. He went 1-2 with a 5.70 ERA in eight appearances (six starts) last season for the Dodgers and has yet to face the Nationals in his young career.

Washington has won three games in a row after beginning the season with a 1-6 record.

Starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore threw six innings of two-run ball against Los Angeles' powerful lineup on Monday, and James Wood connected on a two-run homer for the Nationals, who knew they had to bring their best against the defending champions.

"That was a good one," Washington manager Dave Martinez said postgame. "They're always good when you come out on top, but the game was played really well. Knowing that the Dodgers were coming to town, you've got to play crisp baseball, and we were really good."

Keying the Nationals' early-season turnaround, the rotation has picked up three victories in a row.

Washington's Brad Lord (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will make his first career start on Tuesday following three appearances out of the bullpen across his first week-plus as a major leaguer.

Lord, 25, failed to record an out in his MLB debut on March 30 against the Philadelphia Phillies, but he worked two scoreless innings in Toronto in the following series.

An 18th-round draft pick in 2022 by the franchise, Lord made the Opening Day roster after making 25 starts in the minor leagues a season ago.

--Field Level Media