MLB: Shohei Ohtani has 3 doubles as Dodgers rout Nationals

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani prepares to bat during the sixth inning of the team’s MLB game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in Washington. ( AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON — Shohei Ohtani had three doubles to improve his major league-leading batting average to .371, rookie Landon Knack got his first victory and the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the Washington Nationals 11-2 in the MLB on Wednesday night.

The Dodgers had a season-high 20 hits en route to their third straight victory, with Mookie Betts and Will Smith each having four hits and Andy Pages homering.

Nick Senzel homered for Washington. The Nationals didn’t have a baserunner after the second inning.

Ohtani went 3 for 6, hitting RBI doubles in the eighth and ninth innings. He leads the majors in slugging percentage (.695), OPS (1.128), extra-base hits (21) and doubles (14). He is hitting .429 during his nine-game hitting streak.

READ: Ohtani passes Matsui for most MLB homers by Japanese-born player

“His average exit velocity on balls he puts in play, he’s got to be in a category by himself,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “The ball just does different things when it comes off his bat.”

A night after ripping a 118.7 mph solo shot in the ninth inning — the hardest-hit home run of his career — Ohtani smashed a 115.6 mph double to right-center in the first inning off Jake Irvin (1-2). Ohtani came around two batters later on Smith’s single.

Betts pushed the lead to 3-0 in the second on a two-run single against a drawn-in infield.

Senzel led off the Nationals’ second with a homer into the bushes in the visiting bullpen in left. Washington then scored again without putting the ball in plan, sandwiching two walks around a hit batsman before Joey Meneses pushed in a run with a walk.

READ: MLB: Shohei Ohtani delivers for Dodgers in home opener

That was all the Nationals managed against Knack (1-1), who lost his debut against Washington last week. Knack retired his last 13 batters and struck out five over six innings.

“I was just kind of missing off the edges,” Knack said about his second inning. “I’m a guy who really needs to be more north and south with everything, so it was basically just trying to get everything back over instead of trying to be too perfect, especially with the slider and changeup. It was just trying to figure it out and execute quick.”

Max Muncy hit an RBI single in the third and Lux chased Irvin with a two-out, two-run single in the fifth. Irvin allowed six runs on 12 hits in 4 2/3 innings while striking out three.

“He made some good pitches at times,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “He just didn’t have any consistency today. He fell behind, and that’s what got him.”

Pages homered with one out in the eighth off Tanner Rainey, and Betts and Ohtani followed with back-to-back doubles to score another run.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: RHP Blake Treinen (bruised lung) allowed three runs while getting one out Tuesday in his first rehabilitation appearance for Triple-A Oklahoma City. … RHP Walker Buehler (elbow) allowed five runs (three earned) and struck out five in four innings Wednesday for Oklahoma City.

Nationals: Washington placed OF Lane Thomas (sprained left MCL) on the 10-day injured list and recalled INF Trey Lipscomb from Triple-A Rochester. Thomas was injured stealing second base in the fifth inning Monday.

NEXT MLB SCHEDULE

Los Angeles RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1-1, 4.50 ERA) was set to face Washington for the first time Thursday, while the Nationals were scheduled to start LHP MacKenzie Gore (2-1, 3.60) in the finale of the three-game series.