Machado stays hot (O's lose 6-2)

The only way to cool down Orioles third baseman Manny Machado is with a long shower. Machado has followed up his five-hit night in D.C. with a single and home run, his solo shot in the fourth cutting Washington's lead to 4-2. Machado is 11-for-19 in four games since coming off his suspension. He's collected seven hits in his last eight at-bats. Since June 1, Machado is batting .309 in 31 games, including eight doubles, seven home runs and 15 RBIs. Orioles manager Buck Showalter batted Machado second on Monday with Steve Pearce on the bench. Pearce returned to the lineup tonight under American League rules, and Machado returned to the seventh slot. Too low? Or do you subscribe to the "if it ain't broke" theory? The Nationals have homered twice off Orioles starter Bud Norris. Wilson Ramos took him deep in the second and Ian Desmond did the same with two outs in the fourth. Norris, in his first game since coming off the disabled list, has allowed four runs and five hits in four innings, with no walks and two strikeouts. He's thrown 60 pitches, 39 for strikes. Norris' only clean inning was the third, when he retired the Nationals on nine pitches. Update: Norris went a season-low four innings and tied his season-high with five runs. Norris was removed after a walk and infield hit to open the top of the fifth. Adam LaRoche's sacrifice fly off reliever Brad Brach increased the Nats' lead to 5-2. Norris is charged with five runs and six hits in four-plus innings, with one walk, two strikeouts and two home runs. He threw 71 pitches, 44 for strikes. Showalter talked about the possibility of shortening up Norris and making him available on Sunday if needed in relief. Showalter wanted to give Norris two starts before the All-Star break, but those plans were ruined by last night's postponement. Update II: Brach hadn't allowed a run in his last seven appearances before tonight and hadn't surrendered a run in 14 innings entering the seventh, but Jayson Werth homered with two outs to extend Washington's lead to 6-2. Brach hadn't allowed a home run in 22 2/3 innings. The Nats have hit three home runs tonight. Machado singled in the sixth inning and has eight hits in his last nine at-bats. Update III: The Orioles' three-game winning streak ended tonight with a 6-2 loss to the Nats before 35,575 at Camden Yards. The Blue Jays also lost, so the Orioles' lead in the American League East remains 2 1/2 games. Left-hander Brian Matusz retired all seven batters he faced.