Dodgers within 1 game of Nationals for NLDS home field advantage

The Nationals lost on Monday 14-4 to the Arizona Diamondbacks at home, meaning the Dodgers are now within one game of Washington for home field advantage in the National League Division Series.

This is the closest the Dodgers and Nationals have been in the standings since April 11.

The Nationals (91-65) finish off their season with six more home games, three each against the Diamondbacks and Marlins. The Dodgers (90-66) hit the road to complete their season with three games in San Diego and three in San Francisco.

Because the Dodgers won five of their six meetings with the Nationals in 2016, they own the tiebreaker should both teams finish with the same record. So of these 12 remaining regular season outcomes, the Dodgers need seven to go their way to secure home field advantage in the NLDS, which starts on Friday, Oct. 7.

The main story for the Nationals of late has been injuries. MVP candidate Daniel Murphy last started on Sept. 17, and is dealing with with a strained butt muscle. He has just two plate appearances in the last seven games.

On Monday, catcher Wilson Ramos had to be carried off the field after suffering a potential serious right knee injury while leaping to field a throw. Ramos will undergo an MRI exam on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.

Ramos is having a fantastic season behind the plate for the Nationals, hitting .307/.354/.496 with 22 home runs and 25 doubles in 131 games. The only two major leaguers with more home runs hit as a catcher in 2016 are Jonathan Lucroy (23) and the Dodgers’ Yasmani Grandal (27).

Washington continues their series against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night with Cy Young candidate (favorite?) Max Scherzer on the mound, while the Dodgers open up a three-game set at Petco Park.

Monday scores

Diamondbacks 14, Nationals 4

Tuesday schedule

4:05 p.m.: Diamondbacks (Matt Koch) at Nationals (Max Scherzer)

7:10 p.m.: Dodgers (Jose De Leon) at Padres (Paul Clemens)