Saturday’s game in Nationals Park certainly escalated quickly in favor of the Washington Nationals (23-23). The Nats scored a combined nine runs in the seventh and eighth innings on their way to a 13-3 defeat of the Baltimore Orioles. The Birds had just scored three runs in their half of the seventh to make it a 4-3 game and then the implosion occurred.
Keegan Akin entered the game in relief to start the bottom of the seventh. Seven batters later he was out of the game having allowed 6 runs on 3 hits with a pair of walks in one-third of the iining. Akin exited the game with runners on first and second. Those inherited runners were allowed to score on a Jacob Young three-run homerun to left off of Andrew Kittredge.
Josh Walker opened the eighth by walking Curtis Mead before allowing a Brady House two-run homerun to left field.
All of this was in relief of Chris Bassitt (3-3) who did not have his best stuff today. The twelve-year veteran allowed 4 runs on 6 hits while walking 1 and striking out 4 over 5.0 innings. Bassitt allowed a three-run homerun to Keibert Ruiz in the second inning and another run in the third on a CJ Abrams RBI-double with two outs. Ultimately the loss was hung on Bassitt.
Baltimore scored their runs on back-to-back homeruns by Samuel Basallo (1 for 4) and Tyler O’Neill (1 for 4). Leody Taveras (2 for 4, SB) singled, advanced to second when Gunnar Henderson (0 for 3) walked and scored on Tyler Ward’s (2 for 5) single with two outs.
Pete Alonso doubled in going 2 for 4 on the night while Adley Rutschman was the lone Oriole in the starting lineup to not reach base.
The Orioles hope to salvage the final game of this series befor heading south to face the AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays.
2026 Record: 20-26
Next Game: Sun. 5/17 @ 1:35 pm @ Washington Nationals
