MacKenzie Gore battles but can’t halt sweep as Nats’ bats stay cold

The fifth inning of MacKenzie Gore’s outing Thursday afternoon presented what for many pitchers would be a nightmare: Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani at the plate with runners on the corners, one out and an opportunity to blow a one-run game open.

This situation had doomed Gore in his recent past, a moment capable of souring what had been a strong outing. It was the type of at-bat that has had the Washington Nationals left-hander standing in front of his locker afterward wishing he could have a few pitches back. This time, in a 2-1 loss to the Dodgers, Gore threw a first-pitch slider that fooled Ohtani, who flailed his bat at the pitch and hit into an inning-ending double play.