The Washington Nationals allowed at least one run in each of the game's first four innings to drop the series finale, 6-3, against the Baltimore Orioles
One day after getting back to the coveted .500 overall record that fans have been waiting for, the Washington Nationals fell back to a losing record and the Baltimore Orioles denied the sweep at Nationals Park in a 7-3 finish on Sunday afternoon.
Baltimore scored in each of the first four innings to take control of the game early.
Richard Lovelady opened on Sunday as he lasted 1.1 innings, giving up a solo shot in the opening inning and two total earned runs along with two hits with just one strikeout along the way. Miles Mikolas, who also became the first pitcher to take the Natsmobile to the mound this season, stepped up and allowed four earned runs and six hits while tossing four strikeouts in 5.2 innings, a new season high.
Mikolas' first run allowed came against his first batter after Coby Mayo blasted a sinker 407 feet over the left field wall, extending Washington's early deficit to 3-0.
The Nationals would answer back in the bottom of the inning after Jacob Young hit a 390 foot solo home run over the left field wall, marking his second home run in as many days, to cut it to 3-1.
Pete Alonso would push Baltimore's lead back to three after Mikolas allowed the first two batters of the third inning on base, setting up the sac fly, before Colton Cowser blasted a two run 394 foot home run over the right field wall in the fourth inning, making it a 6-1 contest.
The Nationals would seemingly threaten in the fourth inning after Daylen Lile opened with a leadoff single into right before drawing consecutive walks to load the bases with no outs. Keibert Ruiz cashed in on a sac fly to center, bringing in Lile to make it 6-2, but it would end there after Nasim Nunez and Luis Garcia Jr struck out.
With runners on the corners in the seventh inning, CJ Abrams would capitalize on an infield single, making it 6-3, for the Nationals' final run. Baltimore would pick up the game's final run after Gunnar Henderson notched an RBI single in the top of the ninth inning.
Now sitting at 23-24 overall, the Nationals will welcome the New York Mets to Nationals Park on Monday, May 18 for a four-game series.
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