The visiting Baltimore Orioles bring a four-game winning streak into their two-game series against the Washington Nationals that begins on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Nationals are coming off a series win over the Toronto Blue Jays and will look to surpass the .500 mark for the first time since July 1, 2021.
Baltimore right-hander Corbin Burnes (3-1, 2.61 ERA) opposes Washington righty Trevor Williams (3-0, 2.27) in the opener.
Burnes has allowed three earned runs or less in each of his seven starts. Last time out, he gave up two runs on four hits in six innings against the New York Yankees but was outdueled by Luis Gil and took his first loss in what he called his best outing since opening day.
“If you want to nitpick every pitch, I think there were some pitches that were better and some that were worse, but overall, I was kind of more pleased with how we threw the baseball tonight,” Burnes said on May 1.
Williams has given up two earned runs or less in five of his six starts. He survived five hits and four walks against the World Series champion Texas Rangers on May 1, tossing five shutout innings in a 1-0 win. He escaped bases-loaded, no-out jams in the second and fifth innings.
“Believe it or not, I’ve been there before,” Williams joked afterward. “I’ve pitched with no outs, bases loaded before. You’re just taking it one pitch at a time.”
He won his only career start against Baltimore, allowing a run in six innings.
Washington looks to carry the momentum from its latest come-from-behind effort into Tuesday. The Nationals fell behind the Blue Jays 6-1 in the third inning Sunday, rallied to take the lead, gave it up, tied it again and then went ahead for good on Eddie Rosario’s two-run homer in the seventh.
“I’m one of those players that looks forward to those moments and I’ve had some big moments in my career with big home runs,” Rosario, who began the day hitting .096, said through an interpreter. “But how we started, I needed it and it’s definitely a confidence boost knowing I can still be that player.”
Jesse Winker had two hits, including a home run, and walked twice as the Nationals posted their 12th come-from-behind victory of 2024.
Baltimore had no such stress on Sunday, completing a three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds with an 11-1 rout.
Dean Kremer pitched six shutout innings and Anthony Santander hit his third career grand slam. Jordan Westburg hit a two-run homer and Ryan McKenna added a solo shot for the Orioles.
Baltimore has won six of its last seven while allowing a total of eight runs.
Santander, who came into Sunday hitting .200, finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs and two runs.
“That is the best left-handed swing he’s taken in a long time, for me,” manager Brandon Hyde said of the slam. “And not just because of the result. Because how free and easy it was, flat through the baseball. Just really happy for him in that moment. He’s been really, really grinding.”
–Field Level Media