WASHINGTON (Interstat) — In a series defined by offensive fireworks, the Los Angeles Dodgers needed a late rally to secure a sweep. After trading blows with the Washington Nationals for seven innings Sunday, the Dodgers broke a tie with a four-run eighth and held on for an 8-6 victory at Nationals Park.

The win, played before an afternoon crowd of 24,899 that stretched into the evening over three hours and two minutes, completed a three-game sweep for the Dodgers and improved their early-season record to 7-2. Washington fell to 3-6, having lost five straight.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the top of the eighth inning, with the score deadlocked at 6-6. The Dodgers, who had seen an early lead erased by a Washington grand slam, mounted a decisive rally against the Nationals’ bullpen. Freddie Freeman ignited it with a single off Cionel Pérez. Andy Pages followed with a double, putting runners on second and third. After an intentional walk to Alex Call loaded the bases, Santiago Espinal delivered the critical blow, a two-run single to center that scored Freeman and Pages and gave Los Angeles a lead it would not relinquish.

The inning continued as Will Smith walked to re-load the bases. A Kyle Tucker grounder forced Smith at second but allowed Call to cross the plate. Shohei Ohtani then lifted a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Espinal to cap the four-run outburst and provide crucial insurance.

The game began as a pitcher’s duel between Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki and Nationals left-hander Foster Griffin. Griffin delivered a strong performance, allowing one earned run on five hits over five innings, striking out six. His lone mistake was a solo home run to Ohtani in the third inning, which gave Los Angeles a 1-0 lead.

Washington responded immediately in the bottom of the third against Sasaki. After a walk to James Wood, Luis García Jr. connected for a two-run homer to center, putting the Nationals ahead 2-1.

The Nationals appeared to seize control in the fourth. With two on and two out, Keibert Ruiz hit an RBI single. José Tena followed with another single, setting the stage for Wood. The powerful right fielder then launched a three-run homer to center field, a towering blast that turned a 3-1 deficit into a 6-1 Washington advantage.

The Dodgers began their methodical comeback in the sixth. With Griffin out of the game, Call doubled and later scored, along with Dalton Rushing, on Rushing’s two-run homer to right-center off reliever Andre Granillo, cutting the deficit to 6-3.

Los Angeles tied it in the eighth against Pérez before erupting for the go-ahead runs. Teoscar Hernández added a solo homer in the ninth for the final margin.

The Dodgers’ bullpen quartet of Jack Dreyer, Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia and Edwin Díaz silenced the Nationals after the fourth inning. Dreyer earned the win, his first of the season, with a scoreless inning of work. Díaz pitched a perfect ninth, striking out one, to record his third save.

Pérez took the loss for Washington, his record falling to 0-1 after failing to record an out in the decisive eighth inning.

Ohtani finished 2 for 4 with a home run, a double, two RBIs and a sacrifice fly for the Dodgers. Espinal’s two-run single was the key hit, while Rushing’s two-run shot provided the initial comeback momentum. For the Nationals, Wood’s three-run homer was the highlight of a 1-for-4 day, and García Jr. added two RBIs with his third-inning blast.

The victory extended the Dodgers’ winning streak to three games as they head to Toronto for a three-game set beginning Monday. The Nationals, mired in a losing streak, will welcome the St. Louis Cardinals to open a series on Monday.

The combined 14 runs fell under the pregame over/under line of 9, defying the high-scoring trend of the series’ first two games. The result also surpassed the projection of Interstat’s game simulator, which had predicted a 6-4 Dodgers win, though Los Angeles entered as a significant favorite with a 72% win probability according to ELO ratings.