Dodgers get rings, grab win
Turner’s homer backs Buehler, thwarts Nationals
LOS ANGELES — Justin Turner homered in the sixth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their World Series ring ceremony day with a 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday.
Walker Buehler (1-0) pitched six strong innings as the Dodgers won a pitching duel in their home opener without injured star outfielders Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger.
Joe Ross threw five scoreless innings of two-hit ball for the Nationals, who lost their third straight.
The Dodgers received their World Series rings in a pregame event in front of the fans who weren’t allowed inside Dodger Stadium in 2020 while their franchise won its seventh title. Players were cheered by a pandemic-limited sellout crowd of 15,036 while they got their jewelry.
Corey Knebel struck out the side in the ninth for his second save, completing the shutout by four Dodgers pitchers in this meeting of the past two World Series champions.
Fans hadn’t been in Dodger Stadium since Game 5 of a 2019 National League division series, when the Nationals ousted Los Angeles on the way to the title.
Buehler yielded six hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Buehler’s zeros were matched by Ross, who struck out four in his first real game since 2019. The right-hander opted out last year.
The Dodgers didn’t get a runner to second base until Turner hammered a two-out changeup from former Los Angeles reliever Luis Avilan (0-1) into the left-field bleachers. Turner had three of the Dodgers’ four hits.
Washington opened the eighth with two hits off
Blake Treinen, but the reliever escaped the jam with help from Victor Robles, who got caught trying to steal second with no outs and the tying run at third.