Have a year, rookie.
Cody Bellinger tied the National League rookie record for home runs in a single season as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Washington Nationals, 3-1, for the fourth consecutive win on Saturday afternoon at Nationals Park.
Bellinger hit his 38th home run of the season when he sent a 93 MPH fastball from A.J. Cole into the upper tank in right field to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
The historic home run tied Wally Berger and Frank Robinson for most home runs by a rookie in a single season in National League history.
But Bellinger wasn't finished as he brought home the second run of the game an inning later when he slapped a single to left field that scored Chase Utley in the third inning.
Anthony Rendon cut the lead in half when he ended Rich Hill's no-hitter with a solo shot to left-center in the bottom of the fourth inning.
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Rendon Homer to cut the lead in half pic.twitter.com/Jyd4LC0HAK— Dodgers (@DodgersVideos) September 16, 2017
Hill (10-8) only allowed the one hit on the home run to Rendon as he posted his second straight solid start, walking two with seven strikeouts in five innings.
Hill is 2-1 with a 3.88 ERA in five career starts against the Nationals.
The Dodgers added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly by Justin Turner that scored Utley in the top of the fifth inning.
Utley finished 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored.
A.J. Cole (2-5) took the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts in five innings.
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Washington did not have a runner in scoring position until the 8th inning, when they started the inning with two hits bookended around an error by shortstop Corey Seager.
The error proved costly as Trea Turner hit an RBI single to left field that scored Wilmer Difo to bring the game within a run.
Reliever Tony Watson got out of the inning thanks to a diving catch by Yasiel Puig that kept the Dodgers in the lead.
Kenley Jansen closed the door with his 38th save of the season.
The Dodgers lowered their magic number clinch the N.L. West to five with a chance of it going to four if the Arizona Diamondbacks lose later in the day.
Up Next:
In order to be the best, you have to beat the best and the Dodgers will have their hands full on Sunday against RHP Stephen Strasburg as they counter with LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball at 8:08PM PST.
