BALTIMORE—Coming off one of the most disappointing losses of the season, the Orioles’ bullpen rebounded with a dominant performance. Paul Fry, Cole Sulser, Tanner Scott and Dillon Tate allowed just one hit and struck out eight in 4 1/3 innings as the Orioles defeated the Washington Nationals, 6-1, on Friday night before an announced crowd of 17,022 at Oriole Park.
Scott gave up a game-winning two-run single to Tampa Bay’s Austin Meadows in the bottom of the ninth inning on Wednesday but rebounded to retire all four batters he faced.
“Nice to see him bounce back the way he did,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Tanner’s got under a 3 ERA. He’s doing a lot of things right. He only threw 15 pitches and got four outs. Paul Fry threw 20 pitches and got four outs.”
Fry (4-3) retired all four batters he faced when he relieved starter Jorge López with two outs in the fifth.
Josh Bell’s fourth-inning home against López put Washington (45-51) ahead, 1-0. Bell’s 15th homer traveled 448 feet.
Nationals starter Patrick Corbin (6-9) retired the first nine Orioles (32-64) before Cedric Mullins led off the fourth with a double. Austin Hays’ double to left scored Mullins. Trey Mancini struck out, and Ryan Mountcastle grounded to short with Hays taking third. Ramón Urías’ base hit scored Hays, and the Orioles led, 2-1.
Washington’s Andrew Stevenson led off the fifth with a double and moved to third on a passed ball by catcher Pedro Severino. López retired Alcides Escobar and Trea Turner on grounders and, with López an out away from qualifying for a possible win, Hyde called for Fry.
“I didn’t get disappointed,” López said. “Skipper and I have been talking about how rough that fifth inning is, and if he gets the feeling he’ll take me out, even if I get mad. It didn’t work out for me to get through the fifth.”
Fry retired Juan Soto on a grounder to first to end the fifth.
“I saw Juan Soto coming up to the plate, and I had Paul Fry ready for him,” Hyde said. “Paul Fry and Tanner Scott both faced the middle of the order, and both pitched extremely well.”
Pat Valaika homered with one out in the fifth, his third, and the Orioles led, 3-1.
Mancini led off the sixth with a double, moved to third on Mountcastle’s grounder to short, and scored when Urías grounded to short. Turner’s throw home wasn’t in time, and the Orioles went ahead, 4-1.
Corbin was replaced by Wander Suero, whose pickoff throw eluded Bella at first, allowing Urías to scramble to third. Bell was charged with an error. Severino hit a acrifice fly to score Urías for a 5-1 lead.
Fry struck out the side in the sixth. In the seventh, Sulser left with runners on first and second with two outs. Scott retired Turner on one pitch, a fly to left. Scott and Dillon Tate worked spotless innings in the eighth and ninth.,
Valaika’s second home run, his third in two games, gave the Orioles a 6-1 lead in the seventh. It was his first multi-home run game with the Orioles.
“Tonight, I just squared those balls up better than I have pretty much this whole year,” Valaika said. “It felt good to actually drive a ball and not see it die at the track. Hopefully, I can just continue that and keep it rolling.”
Notes: Right-hander Tyler Wells was placed on the 10-day injured list because of tendinitis in his right wrist. The move is retroactive to Tuesday. “I think we’re expecting him to be back when the 10 days is up,” Hyde said. He expects the team to call up a reliever for Saturday’s game. … Matt Harvey (4-10, 7.13 ERA) will face Max Scherzer (7-4, 2.83) on Saturday night at 6:35. It’s Jim Palmer bobblehead night. The first 20,000 fans 15 and over receive one.
Minor league update: Mickey Jannis (0-4) allowed nine runs, seven earned, in 3 2/3 innings as Triple-A Norfolk lost to Gwinnett, 17-8. Tyler Joyner allowed six runs in an inning.
Catcher Cody Roberts hit a grand slam and allowed four passed balls.
Mike Baumann (3-2) pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and a walk, striking out seven as Double-A Bowie beat Hartford, 5-0. Adley Rutschman drove in two runs, third baseman Patrick Dorrian and first baseman Toby Welk each homered.
Garrett Stallings (7-3) pitched five scoreless innings, allowing three hits, and Kade Strowd gave up one hit in two shutout innings as High-A Aberdeen beat Hudson Valley, 3-1.
First baseman Andrew Daschbach had three hits.
Centerfielder Mason Janvrin had three hits, including his seventh home run, as Low-A Delmarva beat Lynchburg, 5-1.
Houston Roth (5-1) allowed one run on three hits in 5 1/3 innings.
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