Nathaniel Lowe's 3 HRs lead Nationals over Dodgers 6-4 on June 22, 2025, spoiling Shohei Ohtani's pitching debut. Read how the Dodgers' win streak ended.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Well, the streak had to end sometime. The Dodgers' near-perfect start to the season hit a major bump on Sunday, as a one-man wrecking crew named Nathaniel Lowe and a rocky starting debut for Shohei Ohtani led to a 6-4 series-finale loss to the Washington Nationals. While the loss stings, let's take a breath—the Boys in Blue are still a dominant 9-1 and firmly in control of the NL West.
Will Smith is seeing the ball like a beachball, maintaining a torrid .409 batting average and a mind-boggling .594 on-base percentage.
All eyes were on Shohei Ohtani as he took the mound for his first start in a Dodger uniform, but it wasn't the dominant debut fans had hoped for. Ohtani was tagged with the loss, and his ERA ballooned to 9.00. It's a tough look for the two-way superstar on the pitching side, and it puts manager Dave Roberts in a tricky position. While Ohtani's bat remains a crucial part of the lineup, his future in the starting rotation is now the team's most pressing question. Expect Roberts to be fielding plenty of questions about the plan for Ohtani's next turn.
You can't talk about this game without tipping your cap to Nationals slugger Nathaniel Lowe. He single-handedly dismantled Dodger pitching, launching an incredible three home runs and driving in seven runs. It was a career day for Lowe and a nightmare for the home team. Even the best teams have days where they run into a buzzsaw, and on Sunday, that buzzsaw was swinging a bat for Washington.
Despite the loss, it wasn't all doom and gloom. Catcher Will Smith continued his MVP-caliber start to the season, keeping his average above .400 and getting on base at an absurd clip. His consistency is the bedrock of this offense. Meanwhile, Tommy Edman provided a spark with his fifth home run of the year, a solo shot that brought his RBI total to 9. The power and production from up and down the lineup remain a major strength, even on a day when the pitching faltered.
One loss doesn't define a season, especially when you're 9-1. The Dodgers will look to shake this one off and start a new streak. The focus now shifts to the upcoming series and the big decision looming for Dave Roberts regarding the pitching rotation. Will Ohtani get another shot on the mound, or will the Dodgers adjust their strategy? How this team responds to its first real test of adversity will tell us a lot about the championship road ahead.
