(Los Angeles, CA) - The Washington Nationals made things interesting in the ninth inning Friday night, but their late rally came up short in a 5–3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. The Nationals record is now 67-76

The Nationals entered the ninth trailing 5-0 before Abimelec Ortiz and Jorbit Vivas delivered RBI hits to cut the deficit to three. James Wood followed with a two-out RBI double, pulling the Nationals within 5-3, but the Dodgers got the final out before Washington could complete the comeback.

The Washington Nationals went 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base.

Wood continued to look comfortable at the plate in his second game since returning from the injured list Wednesday.

The 23-year-old outfielder collected two doubles, went 2-for-4, and drove in a run with his ninth-inning hit. The performance gave him four total bases and his 74th RBI of the season.

Wood’s return followed an extended absence, making his timing one of the biggest questions surrounding his return. Manager Blake Butera said the outfielder has looked more comfortable with each at-bat, especially against left-handed pitchers.

“He’s done a nice job, especially as he’s gotten more at-bats since he’s been back, looking comfortable all the time especially tonight against some tough lefties,” Butera said.

Wood’s two doubles came against Dodgers starter Blake Snell and reliever Jack Dreyer.

Brady House also doubled, stole second base, and finished with three total bases. Dylan Crews and Cristopher Morales added extra-base hits, while Nasim Nuñez stole his 45th base of the season. Nuñez was later caught trying to advance to third.

Jackson Kent made his fifth Major League start and held the Dodgers to four hits over five innings. He allowed four runs, three earned, while walking four and striking out four.

The start came one week after Kent recorded the best outing of his young career. Against Miami on Aug. 28, the 23-year-old pitched seven innings and threw a career-high 106 pitches to earn his first Major League win.

Butera said that performance showed Kent’s competitiveness and willingness to take responsibility for the game.

“We asked him to go seven innings, over 100 pitches for the first time in his career. He wanted the ball, right?” Butera said.

Kent kept the Dodgers from adding to their lead after their early breakthrough, but the damage was enough to put Washington behind for most of the night. He took the loss and fell to 1–3.

Right handed pitcher Jack Sinclair finally reached the Major Leagues Friday night after spending five seasons working through Washington’s Minor League system.

The 27-year-old right-hander entered in the seventh inning and retired all three batters he faced, striking out one. It was a clean debut and a well-earned milestone for a pitcher who had spent years waiting for his opportunity.

The Dodgers starter Blake Snell controlled the game early for Los Angeles, holding Washington to two hits over six scoreless innings. He walked two and struck out seven.

The Dodgers added a run in the sixth inning and carried a 5-0 lead into the ninth. Los Angeles finished with five runs on five hits.

Washington’s offense did not find much room to operate until the final inning, when the Nationals finally strung together enough quality at-bats to make the game competitive.

The Washington Nationals will continue their series against the Dodgers Saturday. Right handed pitcher Cade Cavalli who has a 12-5 record and an 3.12 ERA is scheduled to take the mound for the Washington Nationals while right handed pitcher Tyler Glasnow who has a 4-0 record and a 2.79 ERA is scheduled to take the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Right handed pitcher Cade Cavalli is tied for fourth in the National League with 177 strikeouts, while his 3.12 ERA is good for 10th. This will be his first career start against the Los Angeles Dodgers.