Ex-Orioles give Nats lead, bullpen hangs on for 3-2 win

BALTIMORE - A couple of ex-Orioles helped the Nationals take a 3-2 lead tonight at Camden Yards. A bunch of relievers then made sure that razor-thin lead held up the rest of the way.

Behind five strong innings from Jeremy Hellickson, Mark Reynolds' latest homer and then four scoreless innings from their ever-changing bullpen, the Nationals eked out a one-run victory to earn their second straight win in this Battle of the Beltways series and fifth straight win overall.

Hellickson and Reynolds, the former Orioles, were aided by Bryce Harper (who launched his league-leading 17th homer) and Juan Soto (who had three hits and contributed in several other ways in only the ninth game of his big league career).

The victory was only possible, though, thanks to the four zeroes posted by tonight's combination of relievers manager Davey Martinez entrusted to close it out. Newcomer Justin Miller struck out three batters during a scoreless sixth. Lefty Sammy Solís retired the side in the seventh. Brandon Kintzler retired the heart of the Orioles lineup in the eighth. And then Sean Doolittle finished it off for his 12th save, escaping a two-on, one-out jam.

There's an obvious storyline to this series, with Harper and Manny Machado each in a contract year and each launching home runs at a dizzying pace. And sure enough, the two star sluggers each went deep in the first inning tonight, setting the tone for this game.

The Nationals had no trouble racking up hits against Dylan Bundy; they had 11 of them in six innings vs. the Orioles starter. They did, however, have trouble piling up runs despite all those opportunities. The Nats produced at least one hit in each of the game's first six innings, but two of their three runs off Bundy came via solo homer (Harper, Reynolds), with Wilmer Difo's two-out, bloop single to right in the top of the second driving in the only other run.

That didn't leave much of a cushion for Jeremy Hellickson in his return to Camden Yards. The right-hander, who disastrously posted a 6.97 ERA in 10 starts for Baltimore late last season, came back to town a different pitcher and he showed some of that during his five innings.

Hellickson wasn't quite as effective as he's been in other starts so far for the Nationals, but he was effective enough, allowing Machado's solo homer in the first and then Adam Jones' RBI double in the fifth. The latter hit might have driven in the tying run, if not for a well-executed relay from Soto to Trea Turner to Pedro Severino to nab Jace Peterson at the plate and end the inning.

As is their custom, the Nationals didn't push the envelope with Hellickson any farther, pulling their starter after 81 pitches in five innings. It's a formula that has worked so far, and they're not about to change that formula.

Even if it required perfect relief from a bullpen that has been a work-in-progress all season.