FAN SUBMISSION by Larry “MtnMan” Darr from Front Royal, VA. Follow him on Twitter @MtnManSports.*
Baltimore Orioles entered the Beltway series trailing both the Yankees and Red Sox, while the Washington Nationals were trailing the Braves in their respectful Divisions. However, they both will leave the same way they came in; though the Orioles have to feel better about their situation after taking three games, out of four, from the Nationals.
Courtesy: Washington Post
The Beltway teams split the series opener in Washington, where the O’s took the opener 6-3 after scoring six runs on fifteen hits and getting righty Jason Hammel his 7th win; Gio Gonzalez would suffer his 3rd loss of the season. The Nats bats could only muster 2 runs on 8 hits as their struggles with the bats continued. Washington would however find their bats on Tuesday’s game a 9-3 victory, which they would pound out 13 hits and four home runs with Adam Laroche hammering two, with TylerMoore and Roger Bernadina collecting one each. Zach Duke would be credited with the win his first of the season. The O’s could muster only three runs on eight hits.
The series would shift to Baltimore on Wednesday, where the O’s would take a 9-6 victory in a game that saw Ryan Zimmerman homer three times and add four RBI in a losing effort. Baltimore also saw the bats come alive scoring nine runs on 13 hits, with the red hot, Chris Davis, going yard twice giving him a league leading 19 for the year. The series would wrap up Thursday night, with a classic pitchers duel between the Nat’s Dan Haren and O’s Freddie Garcia. Haren allowed two runs and eight hits over 7 1/3 innings; only to lose to O’s Garcia who pitched eight innings of three-hit shut out ball. Nick Markakis and Manny Machado both doubled and drove in runs for the O’s.
The series saw the absents of the Nationals Bryce Harper, who has been dealing with knee pain and manager Davey Johnson dealing with a case of out of control facial hair. The Orioles host Detroit this weekend for a home series, while the Nationals head to Atlanta for a very important series with the Braves. Both teams have seen their struggles this year but remain in good position for early in the season.
