When Joe Ross walked off the mound in the seventh inning on Sunday afternoon, it was to a standing ovation at Nats Park. The right-handed pitcher had his best stuff of the season, but the Nationals’ offense failed to back him up.
Ross fanned a season-high 11 batters and clocked his fastest pitch of the season, a 97-mph fastball, but the Los Angeles Dodgers completed the series sweep, winning 5-1.
The right-handed pitcher cruised through the first inning, striking out the side on 13 pitches — all fastballs. He added a pair of strikeouts in the second and one more in the third to strike out six of the first nine batters he faced.
Starlin Castro drove in Josh Harrison from second with an RBI single to right, breaking the scoreless tie in the third inning.
Castro’s single continued his hot hitting as of late, giving him his 10th hit in his previous 19 appearances at the plate with seven RBIs.
Ross’ first mistake of the day came in the fourth, giving up a solo shot to Matt Beatty to left center field to level the score, which was just the third hit he had surrendered in the contest.
Later in the inning, Ross hit Austin Barnes in the back of the batting helmet to load the bases with two outs. Ross escaped the jam, striking out former Nationals outfielder Steven Souza Jr. looking with a high 95-mph fastball.
Ross settled down after the bases-loaded jam, sending the Dodgers down in order in the fifth before striking out two more batters to end the sixth in 1-2-3 fashion as well.
The Nationals struggled to get the offense going after the third inning. Washington went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven base runners in the contest.
Albert Pujols broke the tie in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter, singling down the left field line to drive in Gavin Lux from second, putting the Dodgers up 2-1.
Ross tossed 6.2 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, but didn’t walk a batter in the outing.
Left-handed reliever Brad Hand came on for Ross and gave up a two-out Max Muncy double, allowing a runner to score. The run was charged to Ross, as Hand inherited the base runner.
In the ninth, right-handed reliever Wander Suero hit pinch-hitter Justin Turner in the head with a pitch to load the bases. Turner stayed in the game after walking to first.
Muncy padded the Dodger lead with a double off the wall in center field past the outstretched glove of Gerardo Parra to drive in two more runs, sending Suero out of the game. Andres Machado entered the game in relief and plunked AJ Pollock to load the bases again for the Dodgers. He escaped the jam, recording two strikeouts.
