WASHINGTON _ There's really no explaining it. The Orioles played some of their worst baseball of the season last week, but they have had no trouble turning the page against one of the best teams in National League.
They jumped on Washington Nationals starter Tanner Roark for five runs in the first two innings and went on to score a 10-8 victory on Wednesday night before a sellout crowd of 39,100 at Nationals Park.
The Nats made several attempts to rally in the middle and late innings before the Orioles erupted for five runs in the top of the eighth to seemingly ensure that they would be going for an unlikely four-game interleague sweep when struggling right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez faces former Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer in the interleague finale Thursday night.
Well, nothing seemed assured when the Nats came back with five runs in the bottom of the ninth. Closer Zach Britton had to come in to restore order, but the appearance would cost him his major league-record scoreless streak (43 games) when Anthony Rendon doubled home the Nats' final run of the game.
This time, left-hander Wade Miley (8-10) did not give up a big early lead the way he did Friday night against the Houston Astros. He pitched five innings Wednesday and allowed two runs on seven hits before leaving the game with two runners in scoring position and no one out in the sixth.
No problem. Right-hander Mychal Givens came on to strand both runners.
Left-hander Donnie Hart also turned in a clutch performance when the Nats threatened in the seventh. He came on with runners at first and third with two outs and allowed soft flyball single to score a run, but struck out Bryce Harper on a full-count pitch to preserve a two-run lead.
Right-hander Parker Bridwell allowed a grand slam to Daniel Murphy to cut the Orioles' seven-run lead to three before Britton allowed his first earned run since April 30.
Third baseman Manny Machado delivered on both ends of the Orioles' third straight victory with a four-hit performance that started with a two-run home run in the first inning and also included run-scoring singles in the second and eighth innings.
Matt Wieters also drove in four runs with a bases-loaded hit by pitch in the first and a three-run home run in the eighth that proved to be the difference.
