Field Level Media
Jun 19, 2018
Anthony Rendon's two-run double to left in the seventh proved to be the game-winning hit and Trea Turner had a home run in going 4-for-4 as the Washington Nationals came from behind for a 9-7 win over the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday in the first of a three-game interleague series between the teams.
Trailing 6-5 in the seventh, Washington jumped to the lead for good off Tanner Scott (0-1), the fourth of five Orioles pitchers.
Adam Eaton bunted for a single to start the frame and moved to second on a single by Juan Soto. Rendon followed with his two-RBI double, and Michael A. Taylor's single an out later sent home Rendon. After Turner doubled, Wilmer Difo's single plated Taylor to push the Nationals' lead to 9-6.
Neither starting pitcher figured in the decision.
Baltimore's David Hess was removed after 4 2/3 innings in which he allowed five runs on five hits with two strikeouts and three walks.
The Nationals' Jefry Rodriguez surrendered five runs on four hits (two of them home runs) while issuing three walks and striking out six. It was Rodriguez's first major league start after being recalled from Double-A Harrisburg prior to the game.
Justin Miller (5-0) earned the win for Washington with two innings of one-run, two-hit pitching in relief of Rodriguez. Sean Doolittle pitched the ninth to earn his 19th save.
New Nationals setup man Kelvin Herrera, acquired from the Kansas City Royals on Monday night, got three outs in six pitches in his team debut.
The Nationals struck first via Turner's solo home run in the bottom of the second off Hess.
Baltimore answered in the third as Jace Peterson's two-run homer to right-center field also scored Hess and gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead. They added to their advantage in the fourth on Trey Mancini's two-run home run that chased home Mark Trumbo and pushed the Baltimore lead to 4-1.
Manny Machado's bases-loaded double-play grounder in the fifth allowed Hess to score and expanded the Orioles' lead to 5-1.
Washington finally got to Hess in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs to tie the game at 5-5. Eaton's soft grounder off Machado's glove rolled away far enough to give Turner and Difo the opportunity to score and cut the Baltimore lead to 5-3. One batter later, Rendon's sacrifice fly to center field drove home Spencer Kieboom, and then Bryce Harper's double plated Eaton to tie the score.
Miller replaced Rodriguez to begin the sixth and promptly allowed a leadoff triple to Jonathan Schoop. Two batters later, Corban Joseph's groundout brought home Danny Valencia to allow Baltimore to regain the lead, 6-5.
Joey Rickard hit a solo home run in the ninth for the Orioles, but it was far too little, too late.
--Field Level Media