Anderson stymies Nationals as Dodgers cruise to 10-1 victory
By PATRICK STEVENS
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tyler Anderson pitched eight shutout innings, Trea Turner had three RBIs in his first game against his former team and the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the Washington Nationals 10-1 on Monday night.
Anderson retired his first 16 batters before César Hernández’s one-out double in the sixth.
“He joked with me and said it seems like every time he pitches, I tell him we needed that outing,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And we have needed it. He’s given us length and today it was just complete command of his arsenal.”
Turner, who played with Washington for seven seasons before his trade to Los Angeles last July, extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a two-run single in the sixth. He also had an RBI groundout in his first at-bat.
The Dodgers have won eight of nine and own the best record in the National League at 28-13. Washington fell to 5-16 at Nationals Park, the worst home record in the majors.
Turner was a key figure on Washington’s 2019 championship team, and he and reliever Daniel Hudson — who got the last out of the World Series that year for the Nationals — were introduced to applause before the lineups were announced. But Anderson (5-0) quickly made it his night.
The left-hander needed just 50 pitches to breeze through five innings, and he got Maikel Franco to fly out to open the sixth before Hernández spoiled his bid for perfection with a hit to left-center.
Anderson said he wasn’t thinking much about a perfect game yet.
“Not a lot,” he explained. “That’s pretty early. If I was really concerned, I think you don’t throw a fastball 3-1 like that. In that situation, we have a big lead and my job is to go innings.”
Anderson allowed five hits, striking out eight while walking none.
The Dodgers staked Anderson to a two-run lead before he took the mound, and scored three more times against Joan Adon (1-8) during a two-out rally in the fourth. Chris Taylor tripled in a run and, after Gavin Lux walked, Nationals right fielder Juan Soto misplayed Mookie Betts’ fly into a two-run double.
Adon allowed six runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. The rookie dropped his sixth consecutive start and leads the majors in losses. The Nationals have totaled nine runs during Adon’s skid.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: Roberts said Betts will get a routine day off Tuesday. … LHP Andrew Heaney (shoulder) threw 30-35 pitches during a bullpen session. He hasn’t pitched for Los Angeles since April 17. “Velocity was good, the spin and all that stuff was great,” Roberts said. “A really good day for him.”
Nationals: DH Nelson Cruz was in the lineup after leaving Sunday’s game with a sprained ankle. … OF Victor Robles entered as a defensive replacement in the eighth, but played only one inning before exiting with a calf cramp.
TURNER’S HOMECOMING
The Nationals’ pregame recognition of Turner included a highlight package on the video board that featured some of his top moments with the franchise. Among them: A clip from his major league debut in 2015.
“It was fun reminiscing and watching all those videos,” Turner said. “There were some good memories. The debut was up there, which feels so long ago.”
UP NEXT
Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (4-1, 2.90) is 1-1 with a 2.33 ERA in four career appearances against Washington.
Nationals: RHP Josiah Gray (4-3, 4.36) faces the Dodgers for the first time since they dealt him to Washington last July in the trade that sent Turner and Max Scherzer to Los Angeles.
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