Washington @ Baltimore preview

Last Meeting ( May 29, 2013 ) Washington 6, Baltimore 9

It would be no surprise if Washington's Dan Haren and Baltimore's Freddy Garcia had trouble sleeping prior to their Thursday starts. With the way the ball carried at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Wednesday, nightmares were also possible. The Orioles and Nationals hit four home runs apiece in Baltimore's come-from-behind 9-6 victory. The Orioles' Chris Davis smashed two and leads the majors with 19 while Washington's Ryan Zimmerman recorded his first three-homer game.

Baltimore, which trailed 6-2 in the fifth inning after Zimmerman's third home run, leads the major leagues with 75 home runs. Haren, who struck out a season-high 10 in his last start, will try for his first victory in four outings while Garcia is coming off his first win of the season. They should be pitching in similar conditions as another warm night is expected. Davis is 18-for-30 with six homers and nine RBIs in his last eight games to raise his average to .359.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network 2 (Washington), MASN (Baltimore)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Dan Haren (4-5, 5.43 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Freddy Garcia (1-2, 4.61)

Haren allowed three runs - two on a pair of solo home runs in the second inning - and four hits in six innings, but was not tagged with the 5-3 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday. He had lost his previous two outings, including a 13-4 loss at San Diego on May 19 when he yielded seven runs and nine hits in five innings. Haren is 5-3 with a 4.02 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 11 games against the Orioles. J.J. Hardy is 5-for-12 with three doubles against Haren while Nick Markakis is 4-for-23.

Garcia, who is playing for his sixth team, allowed three runs (two earned) and nine hits in five innings in Baltimore's 6-5 victory at Toronto on Saturday. The 36-year-old Venezuelan pitches to contact these days with nine strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings, but has demonstrated solid control with six walks. Garcia is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two games (one start) against Washington, including a 5-3 victory in relief last season when he pitched two scoreless innings while with the Yankees.

WALK-OFFS

1. Zimmerman had three homers in his first 38 games before Wednesday.

2. Davis has scored a run in eight straight games, three shy of the team record set by Frank Robinson in 1966 - the year he won the Triple Crown.

3. Washington OF Roger Bernardina has homered in two straight games after not going deep in his first 36 contests.

PREDICTION: Nationals 6, Orioles 5