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The Baltimore Orioles swept the Washington Nationals, winning the Battle of the Beltways and keeping their slim playoff hopes alive at Nationals Park.
Meanwhile, the Nationals fell further behind the first place New York Mets and all but knocked themselves out of any post season play.
The Orioles, back at .500 at (76-76) are 3.5 games behind the Houston Astros for the last AL wild card spot with 10 games to play. The Nationals, at (78-74) are 7.5 games behind the Mets with 10 to play and have been knocked out of the NL Wild Card race.
After winning the first two games of the series, the Birds needed an eighth inning two-run homer from catcher Matt Wieters to defeat the Nationals, 5-4 in the third game of the series.
With Baltimore up 3-2 in the seventh inning, Washington scored two in the bottom of the inning to take a short-lived 4-3 lead.
Wieters changed all of that with one swing of the bat, for his seventh and perhaps most important home run of the year.
Oriole’s reliever Brad Brach came in to record two strikeouts in the eighth inning and Darren O’Day came in and struck out one on his way to his sixth save of the year. O’Day, in for injured closer Zach Britton, closed each game of the series.
Jonathan Schoop added a two-run homer, his 15th of the year in the fourth inning to give the Birds a 3-0 lead.
Baltimore starter Tyler Wilson allowed six hits, struck out four and walked two, while surrendering two runs in six innings of work.
The first game of the series, a 4-1 Baltimore victory, saw their starter, Ubaldo Jimenez (12-9, 4.16 ERA) win his 100th game while also having one RBI in the game.
He had five strikeouts, survived five walks and gave up three hits in six innings of work.
The bullpen came in and pitched three scoreless innings and set up man O’Day entered and saved the game.
The middle game of the series, a 4-3 Birds victory, saw the Orioles use the long ball with two-run homers from Steve Pearce and Manny Machado.
With the Orioles behind 3-2 in the seventh, Machado won the duel with National’s pitcher Max Scherzer and sent his 30th homer flying over the center field wall.
After a scoreless eighth inning the Battle of the Beltways almost really happened.
The Nationals closer, Jonathan Papelbon, buzzed Machado with a close pitch and then hit him in the shoulder in the ninth inning. He was immediately ejected as both benches cleared.
Machado glarred at Papelbon as he trotted down to first base and manager Buck Showalter came out to argue for his third baseman. Order was restored as each team went back to their dugouts.
O’Day again came to the rescue and struck out two while again saving the game and perhaps the season for the Orioles who have rallied to win seven of their last 10 games.
Birds starter Chris Tillman won his 10th game of the year against 11 defeats. He allowed six hits, struck out five, walked three and surrendered three hits in six innings of work.
