By: Gabrielle DiPaula
BALTIMORE - Orioles take on game 2 of the Battle of the Beltway series at Camden Yards Wednesday night. Brandon Hyde and the Orioles have seen Aaron Brooks pitch - once for them and twice against them.
Hanser Alberto out of the lineup Wednesday night because him and his wife were expecting. Hyde said that he may be in the lineup on Friday.
Brooks had a short two innings, a 14-pitch inning followed by a 13-pitch inning. A low pitch count and facing only six batters kept him in for the third inning. A line drive by Robles followed by a steal put the Nationals in scoring position. With just one out in the inning, Gomes was hit by a pitch giving him the free base to first base. Brooks was facing the top of the lineup again. A double steal by Robles and Gomes gave the Nationals a better opportunity to score. And they did. Adam Eaton with a sac fly let Robles score and the Nationals to be on the board first 1-0. Gabriel Ynoa came to the mound after Rendon reached base on a line drive. Hyde mentioned before the game that Asher Brooks would pitch 2.0-2.1 innings against the Nationals with a 40-50 pitch range. Brooks pitched 2.1 innings with 56 pitches.
Ynoa faced Soto, who sent a lined out to center field. Ynoa saved the Orioles some runs by stranding three runners and throwing just three pitches to get the final out.
Orioles were down by a run in the fourth inning. A fly out to right field by Jonathan Villar was the first out. Trey Mancini who was going through a 0-for-24 slump before the Washington series tied the game with a home run.
The last time Ynoa pitched was in Tampa Bay. He allowed 10 hits, 9 runs, and 7 earned runs on July 12. Five days later at Camden Yards, Ynoa allowed just two hits, and one earned run. Quite a turnaround for Ynoa.
The last run Ynoa allowed was in the fifth inning. Two back-to-back doubles by Trea Turner and Rendon put the Nationals back on top, 2-1.
The seventh inning was just the beginning of the Orioles' rally. Both Mancini and Chance Sisco reached base with no outs. Anthony Santander's line drive drove in the tying run with one out. RBI single by Chris Davis put the Orioles ahead 3-2. A pitching change by the Nationals did not stop the Orioles after a walk by Wilkerson that loaded the bases. A sac fly by Rio Ruiz to put another run on the board as Santander edged home plate. Javy Guerra was the third reliever for the Nationals in the seventh inning. Guerra stranded three runners by getting the last out on a grounder by Richie Martin.
Paul Fry replaced Ynoa retiring the first two batters he faced. Fry was replaced by Mychal Givens after an error by Ruiz and a walk by Rendon, who got the last out on a grounder.
The second part of the rally came in the eighth as the Nationals' faced the entire lineup. Mancini with his second home run of the night put another two runs on the board. Orioles were comfortably on top now 6-2. And it did not stop there. Sisco and Nunez both singled putting the Orioles in scoring position. Right after the Nationals' pitcher Matt Grace replaced Javy Guerra, a sac fly by Santander sent Sisco home now 7-2. The hits did not stop as a double-RBI by Wilkerson and a line drive by Ruiz put the Orioles up now 9-2.
Orioles split the series with the Nationals and are now 29-66. The Orioles face the Red Sox this weekend for a three-game series at Camden Yards.
