Orioles need to turn hits into runs vs. Nationals

The Baltimore Orioles will continue their search for timely hits when they play the middle game of a three-game set against the visiting Washington Nationals on Saturday.

Despite outhitting the Nationals 14-5 on Friday, the Orioles lost the series opener 4-3. Baltimore is 7-for-33 (.212) with runners in scoring position during a four-game losing streak.

Washington, meanwhile, was able to rally for the Friday win despite a relatively quiet night on offense. James Wood hit a game-tying solo homer in the eighth inning, and the Nationals scored the decisive run in the ninth on a walk, a groundout, an infield hit and a throwing error.

"They made it happen," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said of his players. "They stayed in it. They got after it."

Orioles batters struck out 15 times.

"At the end of the day, it was a big win for us," said Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore, who yielded 10 hits but just two runs in 3 2/3 innings. "We were able to kind of come together. Bullpen was great. Yeah, pretty weird."

It felt like a special result for the Nationals, who haven't had many recently. They are 2-8 in their past 10 games.

The Orioles are 2-10 in their past dozen games, and they feel they let one get away against Washington.

"Just not many things went right," Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said.

With each loss, there tends to be repetition in the postgame analysis. The Orioles insist there's time to fix it.

"I think leaning on each other is the most important thing right now, because we have every capability to be able to turn it around and go out and win a lot of ballgames," catcher Adley Rutschman said. "But it really is on us."

The Orioles left the bases loaded in four innings, but they failed to score in two of those frames, heightening the struggles the team has had in scoring runs.

"Kind of in disbelief, honestly," Hyde said.

The Orioles mostly wasted their good chances by stranding 15 baserunners.

"I think we need to figure it out individually," said left fielder Ramon Laureano, who racked up four hits. "We need to look ourselves in the mirror individually and we need to come back stronger and actually perform."

Laureano had gone nearly four years since supplying a four-hit outing.

Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle went just 1-for-5, but he extended his hitting steak to 11 games.

For the Nationals, Wood provided a run-scoring single in addition to his homer.

"He can hit," Martinez said. "When he hits the ball, he makes an impact. He's still learning, too."

The Nationals have right-hander Jake Irvin (2-1, 4.00 ERA) lined up as their Saturday starting pitcher. He hasn't won in any of his past four starts, but he had solid outings in three no-decisions.

Giving up home runs has been troublesome for Irvin, who has yielded at least one long ball in seven of his nine starts this year. His lone previous matchup with Baltimore resulted in a victory last August when he gave up two runs in six innings.

The Orioles will send right-hander Kyle Gibson (0-2, 13.11 ERA) to the mound for his fourth start of the season. He was bumped from the Friday slot after Baltimore rearranged its rotation following a Tuesday rainout and a Wednesday doubleheader.

Gibson is 2-4 with a 7.11 ERA in six career meetings, all starts, against Washington.

The Nationals are 9-15 in road games. Baltimore is 8-13 at home, including 0-4 on the current homestand.

--Field Level Media