Major League Baseball

How to win $1,000 on Dodgers vs. Nationals with FOX Super 6

Published Jul. 3, 2021 11:25 a.m. ET

By Kevin Cooney
Special to FOX Sports

There are a lot of great things about America’s birthday. But if you throw in a matchup on 4th of July weekend between the previous two World Series champions — against the backdrop of the nation’s capital, no less — you have a star-spangled celebration of the national pastime.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in Washington this weekend to face the Nationals, who have been red-hot the past few weeks to climb into the heat of the NL East race. Los Angeles entered play Friday a half-game back in the NL West behind unexpected front-runner San Francisco but entered the weekend as one of only three teams with 50 wins (along with the 51-win Red Sox and 50-win Giants).

Enjoy Dodgers vs. Nationals with the FOX Super 6 app on Saturday night from Chavez Ravine (7:15 p.m. ET, FOX), as future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw takes the mound against Nationals right-hander Paolo Espino. If you answer all six questions in the MLB Late Inning Challenge correctly, you can win $1,000. It’s easy to play: Just download the FOX Super 6 app on your phone or mobile device.

Here are six things you should know about the Nationals and Dodgers.

1. National power grid

Heading into Friday, the Nationals were among the hottest teams in baseball. They were 14-4 in their past 18 games before the weekend, timed perfectly with a Mets injury rash to draw the Nats within two games of New York in the NL East. How is that happening? Washington’s pitching has a 3.43 ERA in the past 30 days. Also, the Nationals have been able to generate a little more offense out of a lineup that stumbled early in the year. Perhaps the most important thing? They have started to get healthy.

2. Pitching in

Last week, the Dodgers were the victims of a combined no-hitter by the Cubs. After that, Los Angeles ran off six straight wins to get to a season-high 19 over .500 heading into Friday. That was a result of the Dodgers having a great week on the mound, putting together a 1.54 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP.

3. Schwarber’s surge

Kyle Schwarber appeared destined to be one of those "whatever happened to that guy?" players when he was allowed to walk away from the Cubs last winter. Instead, the slugger has made it look like the move was a big mistake by Chicago. Over the past 30 days, Schwarber has wreaked havoc from the leadoff spot for Washington, hitting 16 homers and connecting for 28 RBIs.

4. Same old Kershaw

Kershaw has a lot of innings on his 33-year-old left arm, but he maintains his remarkable ability to dominate. On Sunday against the Cubs, Kershaw went eight innings, allowing only four hits and one run while striking out 13 in a 7-1 win.

5. Bullpen bailout

Espino is currently in Washington’s rotation because of injuries to both Stephen Strasburg and Erick Fedde. The real story, however, could be that Washington’s bullpen has outperformed the starting rotation to this point, going 14-11 with a 3.93 ERA heading into Friday’s play. The Nationals' starters have dealt with injuries to Strasburg, Fedde and Max Scherzer, which has limited them to a 26-28 record with a 3.99 ERA.

6. How much has changed?

Remember that Los Angeles swept Washington back in April at Dodger Stadium. At that time, the Nationals were smack in the middle of a poor start that had COVID elements to it. At this point, this is a different Washington team, and this weekend could provide a good measure of how close the Nationals are to returning to the peak of the NL’s power structure with the Dodgers, Giants, Mets and Padres.

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