Mookie Betts homers twice, Dodgers cruise past Nationals 9-4

Mookie Betts homered twice on a night he was originally supposed to have off, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Washington Nationals 9-4 Tuesday night.

Betts smacked a three-run homer off former Dodgers prospect Josiah Gray and hit solo shot off Victor Arano for his 21st career multi-homer game and his second of the season.

Chris Taylor and Trea Turner also homered for Los Angeles, which has won nine of 10. At 29-13, Los Angeles owns the best record in the National League.

The Dodgers have now won three-straight series. Since May 4, Betts ranks first in the MLB in: Home Runs (9), RBI (24), Runs (23), and SLG (.795). He also ranks second with 27 hits during this stretch.

Dodgers starter Walker Buehler (6-1) allowed three runs in six innings, retiring 15 of the last 17 batters he faced. He yielded six hits and struck out three.

It was the first time Gray (4-4) faced the Dodgers since he was dealt to the Nationals at last year's trade deadline in the deal that sent Turner and Max Scherzer to Los Angeles. Things unraveled quickly for the 24-year-old right-hander.

Turner hit a two-run homer three batters into the game and, after the Nationals scored three in the first, Betts poked a three-run shot into the front row in left field to make it 5-3. Taylor added a two-run blast in the third.

Gray gave up seven runs in three innings, and is tied with Cincinnati's Hunter Greene for the NL lead in homers allowed with 12.

Betts' solo shot, his National League leading 12th homer of the season, to greet Arano in the fourth extended the lead to 8-3.

The former AL MVP scored a run in his 12th consecutive game, tying Rafael Furcal (in 2010) for the longest such streak since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles. Zack Wheat set the franchise record with a 13-game streak for the Brooklyn Robins in 1925.

"It's about time we started doing this. It seems like we'd have one part of the lineup going and the other not but now we've got everyone putting together good at-bats," said Betts.   

Betts was scheduled for a routine off day Tuesday, but manager Dave Roberts said outfielder Clay Bellinger woke up not feeling well, which prompted some lineup juggling. Now, Betts is set to sit in Wednesday's series finale — assuming there isn't another change of plans.