Ryan McKenna slid home safely on Ramon Urias’s fielder’s choice grounder to cap a two-run ninth inning and the Baltimore Orioles rallied past the visiting Washington Nationals 5-4 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.
Maikel Franco was hit by a pitch leading off against Brad Hand (5-4). McKenna followed with a single to right center and Franco went to third. Pinch hitter Austin Hays walked to load the bases and Pat
Valaika’s deep fly out to right scored Franco with the tying run and sent McKenna to third.
Pinch hitter Urias grounded to third baseman Carter Kieboom, who threw home. McKenna slid in head first and was called safe. The play stood after a review.
Ryan Zimmerman’s three-run homer gave the Nationals to a 4-3 lead in the sixth.
McKenna hit his first major league homer, and Trey Mancini and Franco also went deep for Baltimore.
Zimmerman drove in all four runs for Washington, which finished a six-game stretch against the last-place Marlins and Orioles with a 2-4 mark.
Washington starter Paolo Espino allowed three runs on five hits — three of them solo homers — in five innings.
Cole Sulser (3-1) got the final out in the top of the ninth with two men on. John Means went 6 2/3 innings for Baltimore. He allowed four runs on five hits.
The Nationals loaded the bases with no outs against Means in the first on a hit batsman, single and a walk. After Josh Bell popped out, Zimmerman grounded into a fielder’s choice, scoring Alcides Escobar, and Josh Harrison grounded out.
Mancini tied the score with one out in the bottom half when he hit his second homer in two games.
In the bottom of the second, Franco gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead with a solo shot to left.
McKenna homered on a 3-2 fastball with two outs in the fourth to make it 3-1.
In the sixth, Escobar was again hit by a pitch and Trea Turner singled. After Juan Soto popped out and Bell struck out, Zimmerman, in a 9-for-68 slump, sent a high fastball out to center for his 11th homer of the season, giving the Nationals a 4-3 lead.
–Field Level Media