Dodgers Defeat Nationals 5-3 Behind Snell's Scoreless Six

Strong Start for Dodgers

Blake Snell anchored the Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching staff on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at Dodger Stadium. The left-hander threw six innings of scoreless ball, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out seven batters. His performance secured the win, improving his season record to 3-1.

The Dodgers took advantage of their home advantage, drawing a crowd of 49,847 fans to witness a decisive 5-3 victory over the visiting Washington Nationals.

Offense Ignites in the Third

The Dodgers established a comfortable lead early in the third inning. Mookie Betts singled to center field, allowing Freddie Tucker to score and Eduardo Hernández to advance to third base. Shortly after, Tomás Hernández doubled to center, driving in both Betts and Hernández for a 3-0 lead.

In the fourth inning, the margin widened when Cody Bellinger scored on an error, with Edman reaching safely on a fielding error by shortstop. This play extended the Dodgers' advantage to 4-0 before the half.

Home Run and Late Scoring

Freddie Tucker provided the game's only home run in the sixth inning, launching a 377-foot drive to right center field. This solo shot made the score 5-0 in favor of Los Angeles. The Nationals managed to score three runs in the ninth inning to narrow the gap, but the damage was already done.

Juan Soto singled to center, allowing House to score. Vivas grounded out to second, scoring Ortiz and moving Tena to second. Finally, Wood doubled to right, driving in Tena for the final run.

The final score stood at 5-3.

Pitching and Records

Jackson Kent took the loss for Washington, pitching five innings while allowing four hits and three earned runs. He also issued four walks and struck out four batters, dropping his record to 1-3. Luis Perales pitched two innings with one hit and one earned run, while Jack Sinclair retired the side in one inning with one strikeout.

For the Dodgers, Edgardo Henriquez pitched one perfect inning, striking out two batters. Kyle Hurt pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowing one hit. Tanner Scott pitched one-third of an inning, and Seth Halvorsen entered with no outs recorded but allowed three hits and three earned runs.

Jack Dreyer closed the game with one inning of work, allowing one hit and recording one strikeout for his second save of the season.

The Dodgers improved their record to 84-57, while the Nationals fell to 67-76.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816811