This weekend, the Dodgers and the Nationals met for the first time in 2019 with a four-game set that split at two wins a piece. This series completes a streak of ten games played on consecutive days for the Dodgers, and was the first taste of the National League East this season for Los Angeles.

Game One

Thursday’s showing from the Dodgers was nothing near pretty against a team that has under-performed this season. Whether it was the Dodgers’ pitching, their bats, or the team’s play in the field, it was not a game to remember for Los Angeles.

The Nationals (15-22) defeated the Dodgers (25-15), 6-0.

• WP: Patrick Corbin (3-1, 3.20 ERA)
• LP: Rich Hill (0-1, 4.20 ERA)

DLD Impact Player(s) of the Game

Cody Bellinger

While the offense wasn’t capable of scratching across a run, Cody Bellinger was doing his part in trying to get the Dodgers on the board Thursday night. Bellinger was the only Dodger to reach base three or more times, and contributed to the team’s combined six hits.

Game Two

The Dodgers bounced back from an embarrassing shutout loss on Thursday by handing the Nationals one of their own. A strong outing from Kenta Maeda, aided by some offensive firepower, pushed the Dodgers back into a position where the Nationals felt less like a suprise threat than they did a night before.

The Dodgers (26-15) defeated the Nationals (15-23), 5-0.

• WP: Kenta Maeda (4-2, 4.03 ERA)
• LP: Anibal Sanchez (0-6, 5.27 ERA)
• SV: Julio Urias (2)

DLD Impact Player(s) of the Game

Joc Pederson

Leading off the game for the Dodgers, Joc Pederson crushed a pair of home runs in his five at-bats Friday night. While both were only solo shots, the boost they gave the Dodgers’ offense early in the game was unmatched by anyone else on the offensive unit.

Game Three

In a Saturday night pitching matchup for the ages, the Dodgers were unable to come out on top. Taking two runs early against Max Scherzer, the team had control of the game until the late stages. However, the bullpen fell apart in the eighth, making it too much for the Dodgers to return from.

The Nationals (16-23) defeated the Dodgers (26-16), 5-2.

• WP: Max Scherzer (2-4, 3.68 ERA)
• LP: Pedro Baez (2-2, 3.26 ERA)
• SV: Sean Doolittle (6)

DLD Impact Player(s) of the Game

Walker Buehler

Another day, another lights out start from the young phenom, Walker Buehler. In his seven-inning outing, Buehler held the Nationals scoreless, sitting down seven batters via the punchout. Without this performance from Buehler, the Dodgers may have never had the driver’s seat position they had for the first seven frames.

Game Four

The Dodgers secured the series split on Sunday with a help of an outstanding performance from Hyun-Jin Ryu, and a potential cold-streak-breaking grand slam from Corey Seager. The Dodgers seemed to fare well against a pitcher who has posted great numbers at Dodger Stadium in his career.

The Dodgers (27-16) defeated the Nationals (16-24), 6-0.

• WP: Hyun-Jin Ryu (5-1, 1.72 ERA)
• LP: Stephen Strasburg (3-3, 3.63 ERA)

DLD Impact Player(s) of the Game

Hyun-Jin Ryu

This Mother’s Day start for Hyun-Jin Ryu was a special one. Ryu went deep into the game with a no-hitter intact until the eighth inning. The outing helped increase the length of Ryu’s scoreless innings streak, and solidified him into earning National League Player of the Week honors.

Series Forecast

On Tuesday, the Padres will come to Los Angeles for a brief two-game series with the Dodgers after a three-game set played in San Diego just a little over a week ago. The Dodgers came out on top in that weekend series with the Padres earlier in the year, and will look to gain more control over the season series with some wins here. For the Padres, they’ll be looking to swipe control away from the Dodgers with a clean sweep of these two games at Chavez Ravine. Here’s more information about this quick divisional match-up:

• Tuesday, May 14th: Padres (Paddack) @ Dodgers (Kershaw)
  • First Pitch: 7:10pm PT (10:10pm ET)
• Wednesday, May 15th: Padres (Strahm) @ Dodgers (Maeda)
  • First Pitch: 7:10pm PT (10:10pm ET)

Arrick Joel has covered the Dodgers since 2017. Follow him on Twitter at @ArrickJoel and follow @DodgersLowDown for more.