Baltimore @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 24, 2016 ) Baltimore 10, Washington 8

The Baltimore Orioles are using the Beltway Series to maintain their spot in the American League wild card standings and keep the pressure on the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. The Orioles will try to make it a clean sweep of the four-game, home-and-home set when they visit the Washington Nationals for the finale on Thursday.

Baltimore likes to score in bunches and did just that in Wednesday’s 10-8 victory, posting four runs in the first inning and putting the game away with five more in the eighth as Manny Machado and Matt Wieters each finished with a homer and four RBIs. The Orioles are outscoring the Nationals 22-12 in the series and sit one game behind the Red Sox and Blue Jays in the East while pushing three games ahead of the Seattle Mariners in the race for the second wild card. Daniel Murphy made things interesting with a grand slam in a five-run bottom of the ninth on Wednesday but could not keep Washington from suffering its fourth consecutive setback. The Nationals hold a seven-game edge on the Miami Marlins in the NL East and will play four of their next five series against teams with losing records.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MASN 2 (Baltimore), MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (5-10, 6.94 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Max Scherzer (13-7, 3.05)

Jimenez is moving back into the rotation in place of right-hander Chris Tillman, who was put on the 15-day disabled list due to shoulder soreness this week. The Dominican Republic native last pitched against Houston on Friday and was reached for three runs on as many hits and four walks in three innings to suffer a loss out of the bullpen. Jimenez has been solid in three interleague appearances – two starts – this season, going 2-0 with a 3.46 ERA.

Scherzer sandwiched a string of eight consecutive quality starts around the All-Star break but was knocked around for a total of eight runs and 13 hits in 10 1/3 innings over his last two outings. The Missouri native got enough support to earn a win at Atlanta on Saturday and did not allow more than two runs in any of his last six home outings. Scherzer split a pair of starts against Baltimore last season and is 2-1 with a 1.17 ERA in three starts against AL opponents in 2016.

WALK-OFFS

1. Nationals rookie 2B Trea Turner tied a club record with hits in eight consecutive at-bats before striking out in the ninth inning on Wednesday.

2. Baltimore LHP Zach Britton had his streak of 43 straight appearances without allowing an earned run come to an end when he surrendered one in the ninth.

3. Washington C Wilson Ramos is 1-for-22 over the last five games.

PREDICTION: Nationals 7, Orioles 2