Trea Turner went 4 for 4 with a homer , Anthony Rendon drove in three runs and Washington extended its recent domination of the Orioles with a 9-7 victory Tuesday night.
The game was essentially decided in the fifth inning, which began with Baltimore leading 4-1.
In the top half, the Orioles loaded the bases with no outs and scored only one run – when Manny Machado hit into a 4-6-3 double play.
Washington loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom half and batted around, scoring four runs on four hits and a pair of walks. Adam Eaton contributed a two-run single, Rendon hit a sacrifice fly and Bryce Harper chased starter David Hess with an RBI double.
”They did a lot better job cashing in their bases loaded, nobody out situation than we did,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter conceded.
For the game, Baltimore was 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position. The Nationals were 5 for 10.
”This team is starting to become relentless,” manager Dave Martinez said. ”They kept pounding and pounding and pounding, had a couple of big innings there and scored some runs.”
The Nationals trailed 6-5 before getting six hits in a four-run seventh. Rendon delivered a two-run double off Tanner Scott (0-1) that made it 7-6, and Turner capped his four-hit night with a double.
Both teams noted that more than a couple of Washington’s hits were bloopers and seeing-eye grounders, but the Nationals certainly weren’t about to apologize.
Washington has won six straight over its neighboring interleague rival, including four games this season by a combined 20-8.
Pitching in his second big league game, Nationals starter Jefry Rodriguez gave up five runs, four hits and four walks in five innings.
Justin Miller (5-0) pitched two innings of relief, newcomer Kelvin Herrera worked a perfect eighth and Sean Doolittle gave up a solo home run to Joey Rickard while earning his 19th save.
Jace Peterson and Trey Mancini each hit two-run homers for the Orioles, who have lost 16 of 19.
This one can be blamed on an all-too-telling fifth inning.
”It’s just one of those things where if they got hits they seemed to have found holes,” Showalter said. ”They hit some balls hard, too.”
STAY CLASSY
It’s been a tough year for Harper, whose batting average dipped to .212 following a 1-for-24 stretch though Monday.
”He’s handled it with class and dignity,” general manager Mike Rizzo said. ”He’s more worried about the wins than the hits, and that’s an important aspect that he has learned throughout his career. You know he’s become a team leader for us. When you’re going your worst, you have to be at your best and I think that’s what Harp’s showed so far this season.”
MANY MOVES
Nationals: Placed 1B Matt Adams on the 10-day disabled list (retroactive to June 16) with a fractured left index finger. Additionally http://www.arizonacardinalsteamonline.com/zach-allen-jersey , Washington optioned RHP Wander Suero (1-0, 3.63 ERA) to Triple-A Syracuse, recalled Rodriguez from Double-A Harrisburg and added reliever Kelvin Herrera, obtained in a trade with Kansas City on Monday.
Orioles: DH Pedro Alvarez was designated for assignment in the wake of a 1-for-18 skid that dropped his batting average to .181. Baltimore also selected the contract of INF Steve Wilkerson from Triple-A Norfolk and recalled C Caleb Joseph, who now has his brother, Corban, as a teammate.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: RHP Jeremy Hellickson (hamstring) threw a simulated game in the bullpen, throwing 50 pitches without facing batters.
Orioles: RHP Andrew Cashner (back) is expected to come off the DL on Wednesday; OF Colby Rasmus (hip) could be activated Thursday and 3B Tim Beckham (core surgery) was slated to play nine innings for Norfolk on Tuesday. If all goes well, he could come off the DL this weekend.
UP NEXT
Nationals: Gio Gonzalez (6-3, 3.01 ERA) starts the second game of the series Wednesday night. The lefty threw 6 2/3 innings in a 6-0 win over Baltimore on May 28.
Orioles: Cashner (2-8, 4.98) returns from a stint on the DL in which he missed just one start.
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HOUSTON — A year ago at this time Andrew Luck was at home struggling with an injured shoulder that cost him the entire season.On Saturday he wrote a happy ending to the latest chapter of his comeback season, throwing for 222 yards and two touchdowns and the Indianapolis Colts raced out to a big lead and cruised to a 21-7 win over the Houston Texans in the wild-card game.Luck put on a show in his hometown in a stadium where he’d attended games throughout childhood and played in them since high school, throwing for 191 yards and two touchdowns before halftime to help the Colts (11-6) build a 21-0 lead.He denied feeling “at home” at NRG Stadium Cullen Gillaspia Jersey , but admitted to having warm feelings for the city he grew up in and where his grandparents and many friends still reside.“But it’s still an away stadium,” he said. “It was very loud, very energetic, but fun to win, certainly.”Running back Marlon Mack had 148 yards and a touchdown for Indianapolis, which advances to face the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round next weekend.“We know we have an elite quarterback and we can throw it for 400 and win when we have to,” Indianapolis coach Frank Reich said.“But the margin for error in playoff football when you try to do it that way is very thin. When you can win like this — running the football and stopping it — that’s just everything.”Houston (11-6), which overcame a 0-3 start to win the AFC South, gave up too many big plays and couldn’t get anything going on offense in the first half to fall into the huge hole.Deshaun Watson, who was sacked an NFL-leading 62 times in the regular season, was sacked three times and hit eight more times in a disappointing playoff debut. He finished with 235 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception.“Just a lack of execution on our part,” Watson said. “We didn’t make plays. I didn’t make plays. Communication was a little off. You just got to give the Colts the credit.”The Colts, who opened the season 1-5 Rock Ya-Sin Jersey , continued an impressive run by winning their fifth straight and for the 10th time in 11 games. Saturday was their first playoff appearance since the AFC championship game loss at New England in the “Deflategate” game in the 2014 season.It was another good game in a splendid season for Luck. He threw for 4,593 yards and 39 touchdowns in the regular season after missing all of 2017 with a shoulder injury.The Texans didn’t score until rookie Keke Coutee grabbed a 6-yard touchdown pass to cap a 16-play, 89-yard drive that included a fourth-down conversion that cut it to 21-7 with about 11 minutes left.They led the NFL with nine comeback wins this season, but their attempt at a rally ended on their next possession when Watson’s pass on fourth-and-10 from the Indianapolis 24 fell short with about four minutes left.Luck threw for 863 yards with six touchdowns as the teams split two meetings in the regular season. He picked up right where he left off in this one, when he found Eric Ebron on a 6-yard TD pass on their first drive. That play was set up by a 38-yard catch by T.Y. Hilton, who had 63 yards receiving on that drive.“We didn’t have a lot of guys that made the playoffs so the guys that made the playoffs wanted to go out there and set the tone early, try to get the crowd out of the game,” Hilton said. “That’s what we did.”Hilton didn’t have any catches on the next drive, but the Colts still drove down the field easily and made it 14-0 on a 2-yard run by Mack later in the first.Houston went for it on fourth-and-4 from the Indianapolis 45 on its second possession and Watson was intercepted by Kenny Moore II. It was his first interception since he threw two against the Redskins on Nov. 18.The Colts got to the 17 after that before J.J. Watt deflected Luck’s pass and he was intercepted by Brandon Dunn. But the Texans couldn’t move the ball and had to punt.Indianapolis pushed the lead to 21-0 when Luck connected with Dontrelle Inman on an 18-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.“It’s very frustrating when they’re able to execute and get their job done,” Watt said. “We had a couple of big penalties early in the game as well. But you have to overcome it and you have to find a way to win.”The Texans had a fourth-and-1 from the 9 late in the second quarter and went for it again instead of settling for a field goal. The gamble didn’t pay off when Watson’s pass to DeAndre Hopkins was low and bounced in front of him in the end zone.INJURIESColts: Safety Malik Hooker left in the third quarter with a foot injury. … S Mike Mitchell injured his calf in the third quarter and didn’t return.Texans: Safety Justin Reid injured his ribs in the second quarter and didn’t return. … Hopkins said he played most of the game with a Grade 3 AC sprain of his right shoulder after injuring it in the first half.UP NEXTColts: Travel to Kansas City where the Chiefs were 7-1 in the regular season.Texans: The Texans have some decisions to make in the offseason with defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and safety Tyrann Mathieu both becoming free agents. They might use the franchise tag to keep Clowney, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 draft.