Washington @ Baltimore preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 8, 2014 ) Baltimore 0, Washington 0

Chris Davis had a breakout season a year ago, leading the majors with 53 homers, but his struggles this season have made 2013 a distant memory. Davis snapped out of a 2-for-38 funk by belting a tiebreaking homer in the 11th inning to send the Baltimore Orioles on their way to an 8-2 victory over the host Washington Nationals on Monday night. Rain postponed Tuesday's contest, so the home-and-home interleague series will shift to Baltimore for two games Wednesday and Thursday.

Nationals right-hander Doug Fister is 7-1 over his last nine starts but will have to find a way to slow down the red-hot duo of Manny Machado and Nelson Cruz. Machado extended his hitting streak to five games with a career-high five-hit game Monday while Cruz had his third straight game with at least three hits, going 11-for-16 with two homers and five RBIs during the stretch. Anthony Rendon has hit safely in 10 of 11 games for Washington, which is 7-2 in its last nine games after the series-opening loss.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Washington), MASN (Baltimore)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Doug Fister (7-2, 2.93 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Bud Norris (7-5, 3.62)

Fister continues to churn out quality starts for the Nationals, giving up three runs and seven hits over seven innings to beat Colorado on Wednesday. It marked the ninth time in 10 starts Fister has permitted three runs or fewer and the sixth start in that span in which he has pitched at least seven innings. Fister is 3-2 with a 5.30 ERA against Baltimore but has won all five of his home starts this season.

Norris has been sidelined with a groin injury but comes off the 15-day disabled list to make his first start since June 21. Norris won his last four starts before getting hurt and allowed a total of two runs over 19 2/3 innings in his last three outings. Norris is 2-0 with a 3.66 ERA in three career starts against the Nationals, but must be wary of Ryan Zimmerman, who is 4-for-11 with a pair of homers against him.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tuesday's postponement will be made up on Aug. 4, a Monday.

2. The Nationals are 10-19 against Baltimore since the 2009 season.

3. Davis' homer Monday was his first in 13 games, ending his longest drought of the season.

PREDICTION: Nationals 5, Orioles 3