 allowed six hits over 7 2/3 innings to end a six-game losing streak against Baltimore. The left-hander won his first start against the Orioles in 2009 before coming up empty in his next nine outings.Shawn Kelley got four outs to complete the fifth shutout against the Orioles this season.Matt Adams and Michael Taylor both had two hits and an RBI for the Nationals, who have won four straight and 13 of 18.Though NL home run leader Bryce Harper went hitless, his leaping catch against the right-field wall in the fifth inning robbed Andrew Susac of a potential extra-base hit.Making his ninth start with Baltimore since signing as a free agent in March, Alex Cobb (1-7) was undone by a horrific, 42-pitch third inning that featured Rendon's sixth home run.That was enough to lift the Nationals over their neighboring rivals in an interleague series that began in 2005 and now stands at 38-27 in favor of Baltimore. The game drew 36,139 fans, many of them wearing Washington red.Cobb gave up three runs and five hits over seven innings in his first career start against the Nationals.After getting two outs to open the third, Cobb surrendered a single to Trea Turner and walked Harper before Rendon hit a drive into the left-field seats.Rendon doubled in the eighth to start a three-run uprising against Richard Bleier that featured RBI singles by Adams, Taylor and Wilmer Difo.TRAINER'S ROOMNationals: 2B Daniel Murphy (offseason knee surgery) had a homer and six RBIs in his second rehab game with Double-A Harrisburg on Sunday. He was held out of the starting lineup Monday. ... 1B Ryan Zimmerman (right oblique strain) hit on the field Monday and ''is coming along really well,'' manager Dave Martinez said. . OF Brian Goodwin (left wrist) played seven innings with Double-A Harrisburg on Sunday. He did not start Monday.Orioles: DH Mark Trumbo (knee) returned to the lineup after missing five games. ... LHP Zach Britton (Achilles) remains on course to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday. ''You can see it in his face, he's excited about going out,'' manager Buck Showalter said.GOING DOWNTrey Mancini was dropped from leadoff to sixth in lineup following a 5-for-34 skid that dropped his batting average 19 points to .240. ''He's been one of our most consistent guys and will be again,'' Showalter said. Not on this day, however: Mancini went 0 for 4 and hit into two double plays.SPECIAL HOLIDAYMemorial Day carries a special significance to Showalter, whose father and uncles fought in World War II. ''It's just something you did,'' the manager said of his family's commitment. ''The country needs you to do it and you did it.'' UP NEXTNationals: Jeremy Hellickson, who pitched for the Orioles last summer, faces his former team Tuesday night. He's 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA in seven starts with Washington.Orioles: Dylan Bundy (3-6, 4.45 ERA) seeks a sufficient encore after going the distance in a 14-strikeout performance against the White Sox on Thursday.---More baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball)
Struggling Orioles host Nationals 6h ago• 2 min read BALTIMORE -- As the Baltimore Orioles' early-season woes continue, especially at the plate, they will be running into something they probably won't want to see: the Washington Nationals and their strong starting staff.The two teams begin a three-game series Monday with a Memorial Day matinee at Camden Yards. Alex Cobb (1-6, 7.32 ERA) has gotten off to a disappointing start in his first year with the Orioles, and the right-hander will go against left-hander Gio Gonzalez (5-2, 2.38).The injury-plagued Nationals have spent the first two months trying to right the ship, and Washington (29-22) has played much better this past week. After taking two of three from San Diego, the Nationals swept three from the Marlins in Miami.Washington will start Gonzalez, who has pitched well this season. However, he hasn't been as successful against the Orioles with a 1-6 record and a 4.40 ERA.The left-hander's lone career victory with the Orioles came in 2009 while pitching for the Oakland A's.Cobb is looking for something to go right. The Orioles signed him late in spring training, and he just hasn't found his way yet.The right-hander has gotten knocked around pretty hard at times but has shown flashes of his past form. So the Orioles are hopeful he can get back to that soon, and this will be his first career appearance against the Nationals.Washington comes to town after the sweep of Miami, which they finished with a 5-2 victory on Sunday. Manager Dave Martinez wants to see the Nationals keep going this way."We're playing really well," he said in a postgame press conference Sunday. "It's not easy to come in (to Miami) versus that team and sweep. We've just got to come out (Monday) and do the same thing." Bryce Harper hit another homer for the Nationals, his 16th of the year. That led the National League at that moment and could be the spark to get him out of a recent slide.MLB.com reported that Harper had been hitting just. 200 in the 30 games before Sunday's win. It will be interesting to see if the homer helps get him restarted again."That was a bomb," Martinez said with a smile.The Orioles (17-36), meanwhile, also are searching for offense, something they've been doing for long parts of this season. They found some Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays, scoring three runs in the first inning, one of which came on a Craig Gentry bunt with the bases loaded.But that was all they could do as the Rays rallied for an 8-3 victory."We scored (those) three early; we didn't do anything after that," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said in a postgame MASN interview.The Orioles lost two of three to the Rays and scored just six runs in the process. Andrew Cashner and Kevin Gausman both got roughed up in their starts on Saturday and Sunday as Baltimore lost both of those games.The Birds could get a lift Monday with the possible return of Mark Trumbo. A knee injury has kept him out since Tuesday, but The Baltimore Sun reported Sunday that Showalter said Trumbo could be ready to go Monday.
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