O's game blog: Does winning streak get extended? (Nope, Nats win 7-6)

They have the majors' best record and a six-game winning streak, and the Orioles open a two-game series at Nationals Park tonight. The Orioles (22-10) swept the two-game series in Baltimore against the Nationals (21-12) by scores of 6-4 and 5-4.

The club's six-game win streak is the longest active winning streak in the majors and is the longest for the Orioles since June 22-29, 2016, when they won seven in a row.

They rallied from 4-1 down in the eighth last night, scoring once in the eighth and twice in the ninth for the tie before Mark Trumbo's RBI single in the 12th gave them their third walk-off win of 2017.

The Orioles completed a 5-0 homestand last night that included series sweeps versus the White Sox and Nationals. They are 13-3 at home and 9-7 in road games.

Seth Smith and Adam Jones hit solo home runs last night. The Orioles rank sixth in the American League with 41 homers. They have hit two or more in a game 11 times this season, going 10-1 in those games.

In winning eight of the last 10 contests, O's pitchers have allowed 33 runs with a team ERA of 3.00 in that span. Their team ERA for the year of 3.85 ranks eighth in the AL.

The Orioles hitting stats with runners in scoring position are trending up the last several games. They went 4-for-7 with RISP last night. That includes a pair of two-out hits in the last of the ninth that tied the game 4-4. Jonathan Schoop drilled an RBI double to right and J.J. Hardy a groundball run-scoring single to center. Over their last six games the Orioles are batting .375 (21-for-56) with RISP.

AL team batting leaders with runners in scoring position:
.304 - Houston
.302 - Boston
.300 - Orioles
.294 - Detroit

On the mound tonight, left-hander Wade Miley (1-1, 2.27 ERA) faces right-hander Stephen Strasburg (3-1, 2.66 ERA).

Miley's last start lasted just 12 pitches, as he was drilled by two line drives and left the game with a left wrist contusion. He has recorded three quality starts and the Orioles are 4-2 in his games.

Left-handed batters hit .167 off Miley and right-handers bat .218. He yields an average of just .174 when pitching with runners in scoring position. Miley has featured liberal use of his four-seam and sinking fastballs this season, and his slider usage is up. He is throwing the pitch 25 percent of the time, the highest percentage of his career.

Strasburg pitched exactly seven innings in each of his first five starts and then went 5 2/3 scoreless in his most recent outing on Friday at Philadelphia. He has given up three runs or fewer in each start.

For the season he has pitched 40 2/3 innings, allowing 33 hits and 12 runs with two homers, 11 walks and 36 strikeouts. Opponent batters have hit .220 off him. Strasburg has averaged 96.2 mph this season throwing his four-seam fastball. He throws that fastball 57 percent of the time and works in a curve and changeup, throwing each about 18 percent.

In two career starts versus the Orioles, Strasburg is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA with one walk and 17 strikeouts over 12 innings. In seven games versus the Nats, Miley is 2-3 with a 3.76 ERA and 1.722 WHIP.

Since the start of last season, the Orioles are 18-7 versus the National League, going 14-6 in 2016 and 4-1 this season. The Orioles are 19-7 against Washington since the 2012 season. They have won eight of the last nine between the teams and are 6-1 since 2014 at Nats Park.

On the farm: Triple-A Norfolk won 7-2 at Louisville this afternoon. Winning pitcher Mike Wright allowed two runs over 5 2/3 and is 2-3 with a 4.63 ERA. Edwin Jackson pitched scoreless ball over the last 1 2/3 innings. Logan Schafer went 4-for-5 with an RBI and Johnny Giavotella was 3-for-4 with a single, double, triple and two RBIs. He's batting .295. Norfolk went 8-for-16 with runners in scoring position.

Double-A Bowie lost 4-3 at Reading. Losing pitcher John Means allowed seven hits and four runs over five innings. Lucas Long pitched three scoreless in relief and has an ERA of 1.80. Catcher Austin Wynns went 2-for-3 with an RBI and is batting .363.

This one got away: The Orioles led 3-0 in the second inning tonight and 6-2 heading to the last of the eighth. But they allowed two runs in the eighth and three in the ninth as the Nationals rallied to stun the Orioles with a 7-6 walk-off victory.

The O's six-game win streak ends as they fall to 22-11 and the Nationals beat the Orioles for just the second time in 10 games.

Michael A. Taylor hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Alec Asher to trim the O's lead to 6-4. Brad Brach came on in the ninth to try and close it out but could not. Jayson Werth homered to right to make it 6-5. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded and one out, former Oriole Matt Wieters smoked a two-run single to right to give the Nationals their only lead of the night.

Earlier, Mark Trumbo and Manny Machado homered, and Wade Miley was in line for the win. But Miley needed 119 pitches to get 15 outs, and the Orioles bullpen was called on to hold the lead but could not.

The teams meet Thursday for the fourth night in a row. Right-hander Dylan Bundy (5-1, 2.17 ERA) pitches against right-hander A.J. Cole (1-0, 1.50 ERA).