WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals will look to continue their domination of the Baltimore Orioles when they play the penultimate game of this season’s Beltway Series Wednesday night at Nationals Park.
Trea Turner went 4-for-4 with a homer
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Washington trailed 4-1 entering the fifth inning. Baltimore loaded the bases but scored only one run, that coming on Manny Machado’s double-play grounder. The Nationals loaded the bases and tied it with a four-run fifth and then won it with four in the seventh as Rendon’s two-run double put them ahead.
“This team is starting to become relentless and when you start doing that you put up runs late and that’s a good sign,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said after his team collected 14 hits. “They kept pounding and pounding and pounding, had a couple of big innings there and scored some runs.”
Adam Eaton had two hits and two RBIs for the Nationals (39-32), who have outscored the Orioles by a combined 20-9.
Turner, moved down to the sixth spot in the lineup Tuesday night, homered in the second inning, added a pair of singles and ended his night with a double in the seventh.
“I feel like I’ve been getting decent pitches to hit, just fouling them off or missing them and today it kind of clicked for me,” he said. “I’ve been trying to make some adjustments and felt better.”
Baltimore (20-51) got two-run homers from Jace Peterson and Trey Mancini, and a solo shot from Joey Rickard.
“There were a lot of good at-bats and walks and we didn’t get too overanxious against their first pitcher
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Washington’s Gio Gonzalez (6-3, 3.01 ERA) opposes Andrew Cashner (2-8, 4.98) in the middle game of the three-game set.
After a solid first two months of the season, Gonzalez has slipped in June. In his last three starts he has given up 12 runs and 20 hits over 16 1/3 innings (6.61 ERA), though Washington won two of the three.
In his last start, he allowed five runs on nine hits over six-plus innings in a loss to Toronto. He allowed two home runs after giving up just five in his previous 13 starts this season.
Gonzalez is 2-6 with a 3.90 ERA in 11 career starts versus the Orioles, though he pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a 6-0 win over Baltimore on May 28.
Manny Machado is 5-for-16 against Gonzalez, while Adam Jones is 7-for-32 and Mark Trumbo 4-for-20.
Cashner will be activated off the disabled list after missing 10 days due to lower back soreness. The 31-year-old right-hander will be looking to end a personal three-game losing streak, during which the Orioles have scored a total of three runs.
Last time out, Cashner gave up three runs on nine hits over six innings in a 5-1 loss at Toronto.
Cashner is 3-4 with a 4.04 ERA in 13 career games (eight starts) versus Washington.
Daniel Murphy is 6-for-12 against Cashner, Bryce Harper is 5-for-11
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In 1964, Boston reliever Dick Radatz struck out 181 batters in 79 relief appearances, setting a mark that still stands.
According to Baseball-Reference.com, it’s the most strikeouts in one year for a pitcher with zero starts.
Relievers were used differently back then – Radatz threw 157 innings while setting his record – but even in today’s more specialized environment, Milwaukee’s Josh Hader has a chance to finish the season with a staggering strikeout total. He already has 80 in 39 2/3 innings. The 24-year-old left-hander also has six saves and a 1.13 ERA in 25 games, part of a bullpen that has led the Brewers to the National League’s best record.
The Brewers won 86 games last season and fell a game short of the second wild card. Now they have a two-game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. Milwaukee’s offense is just seventh in the league in OPS, and its starters have an ordinary ERA of 3.98. It’s the relievers who have led this charge.
Closer Corey Knebel missed time with a hamstring injury, but the Brewers have shown plenty of depth in the bullpen. Three regular relievers have ERAs under 2.00 – Hader, Jeremy Jeffress (1.19) and Jacob Barnes (1.78). Milwaukee has had an NL-high 28 games decided by one run, and the Brewers have gone 18-10.
Hader was a starter as recently as last year in the minors, but with the Brewers he’s pitched exclusively in relief. He had 68 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings for Milwaukee last season, and he’s already surpassed that strikeout total in 2018.
If he can’t make it to Radatz’s mark
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Other developments from around the majors:
PULLING AWAY
The Cleveland Indians have had their issues this season, but a forgiving AL Central gave them plenty of time to work out their problems. After a three-game sweep of second-place Detroit, Cleveland is now eight games ahead in the division. The Indians outscored the Tigers 26-3 in the weekend series, and Cleveland has won seven games in a row.
The Indians (43-33) actually have a better record now than they did after 76 games last season. They were 40-36 then, but went on a tear in the second half to finish with 102 wins.
HIGHLIGHT
Tampa Bay shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria was prepared for one of the quirks of his home ballpark Sunday. Clint Frazier of the Yankees hit a drive in the ninth inning that looked headed deep to left field, but the ball hit a speaker hanging from an overhead catwalk and caromed back down in shallow left. Hechavarria stayed with the play and made the catch for an out. The Rays went on to win 7-6 in 12 innings.
LINES OF THE WEEK
The Red Sox outslugged Seattle 14-10 on Friday night at Fenway Park. J.D. Martinez led the hosts, going 4 for 5 with a homer, five RBIs and three runs. Martinez now leads the majors with 60 RBIs and is tied for the lead with 23 homers.
Nelson Cruz also had a night to remember Friday in a losing effort. He went 4 for 5 with two home runs and seven RBIs.
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