Baltimore @ Washington preview
Nationals Park
Last Meeting ( Jun 28, 2009 ) Washington 5, Baltimore 3
The Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals both pursued power-hitting first baseman Mark Teixeira two years ago. Both came up empty-handed.
The Nationals eventually found their slugging first baseman. The Orioles are still searching.
However, there may be hope yet for Baltimore, thanks to Luke Scott.
The Orioles’ hottest hitter, Scott will likely make his second straight start at first base when Baltimore visits Adam Dunn and the Washington Nationals tonight in the opener of the Beltway Series.
In 2008, the Orioles and Nationals made strong plays for Teixeira, who grew up in Annapolis, Md. However, the premier first baseman in the game spurned both teams and signed an eight-year, $180 million deal with the New York Yankees.
The Nationals responded the following season by signing Dunn, who is tied for fifth in the National League with nine home runs.
Meanwhile, the first base position remains a black hole for the Orioles. Baltimore first basemen have not hit a home run and were batting just .210 (32-for-152) before Scott replaced starter Garrett Atkins on Thursday.
Atkins was benched after going hitless in his last 15 at-bats. He is hitting just .221.
Needless to say, Scott is certainly an upgrade at the position. He recorded three hits, including an RBI double, in Thursday’s 13-7 loss to Texas.
Normally a designated hitter, Scott is batting a torrid .529 (18-for-34) with five homers and 11 RBIs in his last nine games.
Scott Olsen (2-1, 3.15) will try to slow him down when he takes the hill for the Nationals looking for his first decision in four starts.
Olsen allowed one run and five hits in 6 2/3 innings of a 2-1 loss to Colorado on Sunday.
The left-hander has not won since April 30. Olsen’s only career start against Baltimore came in 2006, when he allowed three runs and hits in 7 1/3 innings but did not receive a decision.
David Hernandez (0-5, 5.84) gets the ball for Baltimore. Hernandez has lost 11 straight decisions - the longest active streak in baseball and two short of the franchise record set by Mike Boddicker in 1987-88.
Hernandez missed his last scheduled start with discomfort in his right shoulder. Prior to that, he allowed four runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 5-1 loss to Seattle on May 11. In his only start against Washington, Hernandez allowed three runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 5-3 loss last June.
Washington dropped a 10-7 decision to the New York Mets on Thursday, its sixth loss in seven contests.
It went 2-4 against Baltimore last season and trails the series 13-11 since 2006 – the year after the franchise returned to the nation’s capital.