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Nationals fall 6-5 to Dodgers in late-inning collapse

Cade Cavalli and the Nationals led 5-4 before a Tommy Edman three-run homer and a late rally handed Los Angeles the 6-5 victory.

Briar Keller

September 6, 20262 min read

late inning collapse - illustration, Jake Team LLC
MLBFinal
Washington Nationals5
Los Angeles Dodgers6

September 6, 2026

The Washington Nationals entered the seventh inning with a five-run lead, but a dramatic shift in momentum allowed the Los Angeles Dodgers to steal a 6-5 victory at Dodger Stadium on Sunday. The game featured a robust pitching duel between Cade Cavalli and Tyler Glasnow, both of whom threw six strong innings before the relief corps took over.

The final score of 6-5 reflected a close contest that swung on a single swing in the middle of the game.

Early Lead and Pitching Duel

The Dodgers struck first in the top of the first inning. Teoscar Hernández singled to left, scoring Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts followed with a single to center that brought in Freddie Freeman. The Nationals responded in the bottom of the second when Juan Soto hit a sacrifice fly to center, allowing Anthony Rizzo to score and tying the game at 2-2.

Tyler Glasnow started for Los Angeles, allowing four earned runs on six hits and three walks while striking out eight batters. Cade Cavalli matched him for Washington, giving up two earned runs on four hits with eight strikeouts over six frames.

The Deciding Swing

The Nationals regained the lead in the fourth inning. Juan Soto singled to right, scoring Anthony Rizzo, and followed with a double to left that brought in Juan Soto. The score stood at 5-2 in favor of Washington heading into the seventh.

The tide turned when Tommy Edman homered to right center field. The drive carried 389 feet, bringing in two runners and cutting the deficit to 5-4. This was the only home run of the game, a pivotal moment that shifted the pressure onto the Nationals' bullpen.

Late Rallies and Final Records

The Dodgers continued their push in the eighth inning. A hit by pitch to Mookie Betts scored Anthony Rizzo, giving Los Angeles a 6-5 lead. The Nationals had a final chance in the ninth.

Juan Soto reached on an infield single to shortstop, scoring Anthony Rizzo, but the Dodgers held on to win. Alex Vesia earned the win with one scoreless inning of relief, allowing one hit and striking out two. Evan Phillips recorded the save with one hitless inning, striking out none.

Tanner Scott pitched one inning, allowing three hits and one earned run with three strikeouts. The Dodgers improved to 85-57, while the Nationals fell to 67-77. Attendance was 52,785.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816826

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Briar Keller

Briar Keller covers Saratoga high school and area college sports.

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