WASHINGTON _ A pop-up storm on an otherwise pleasant Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park caught the hosts completely off-guard _ and that doesn't even account for the mess the grounds crew made as they couldn't unroll a tangled tarp onto the infield.
The first deluge was the Orioles' five-run fifth inning, which, just like their eighth-inning outburst in a 5-3 victory the night before, came out of nowhere.
The second came as the Nationals tried to mount another rally in the sixth inning. A rain storm hit Washington and the grounds crew took over 15 minutes _ the duration of the storm _ to get the tarp unrolled, leaving the infield soaked.
According to MLB rules, because it was a mechanical issue with the tarp, the game was suspended and will be resumed Friday at Camden Yards with one out in the sixth inning and the Orioles leading 5-2. Baltimore is looking to complete a three-game sweep over the defending World Series champions.
The Orioles had only a bunt single to lead off the game by Hanser Alberto and an infield single in the second inning from Dwight Smith Jr., and the prospect of getting to the soft underbelly of the Nationals bullpen early seemed faint as Stephen Strasburg, making his season debut, carried a shutout into the fifth.
But a hard lineout to open the fifth inning by Smith portended what was to come: the Orioles hit the ball all over the field and chased Strasburg from the game.
Austin Hays and Chance Sisco singled, and the bases were loaded on a four-pitch walk to Pat Valaika. Third catcher Bryan Holaday, making his first start of the season in place of an injured Pedro Severino (wrist), singled to open the scoring.
Alberto doubled just fair down the third-base line to score two more, and Anthony Santander punctuated the inning and Strasburg's day with a two-run single of his own.
The Orioles' second five-run inning in as many days proved to be plenty of cushion, even as Shawn Armstrong allowed a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth.
