WASHINGTON — A local TV weatherman introduced his forecast for the Washington D.C. area on Monday night by warning, “It’s going to feel like February tomorrow.”
If only – the Dodgers spend their Februaries in the sun and warmth of Arizona.
Instead, the Dodgers took the field at Nationals Park with temperatures in the 40s and strong winds that made it feel even less like the Cactus League. It was the meteorological nadir of a trip that has followed cold and rain in Philadelphia with even lower temperatures in Washington – and there’s one more game to go before returning to 80-degree rebirth in California.
The Dodgers have felt the chill in their bones and the quality of their play has dropped with the temperatures. Hailed as a super team that might never lose when they left the sun behind in Los Angeles, they have not handled climate change well, losing for the fourth time in the first five games of this East Coast trip on Tuesday night, 8-2, to the Washington Nationals.
Left-hander Justin Wrobleski was promoted from Triple-A Oklahoma City in order to fill injured Blake Snell’s spot in the rotation. He was not up to the task.
Wrobleski gave up a two-run home run to Nationals DH James Wood in the first inning. Wood (part of the package that went from San Diego to Washington in the Juan Soto trade in August 2022) did it again in the fourth, following the 111.2 mph missile to center field with a 106.6 mph drive into the right field seats.
In between, the Nationals had a three-run second inning when Wrobleski walked three consecutive batters, forcing in a run, and also gave up a two-run single to Keibert Ruiz.
The Dodgers were down 8-0 by the end of the fourth inning and never warmed to the task of fighting back. Manager Dave Roberts began pulling his starters in the fifth inning, sending first Mookie Betts then later Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman mercifully to the warmth of the clubhouse.
The Dodgers had just two hits through the first four innings. Back in the lineup after a one-day respite prompted by his frequent baserunning and defensive mistakes, Andy Pages led off the fifth inning with a solo home run.
Their only other offensive highlight was a solo home run by Kiké Hernandez in the eighth inning. By then, the two teams were playing in hockey weather (39 degrees).
Hernandez now has four hits in 36 at-bats this season – but all four have been home runs.
More to come on this story.
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