O's offense breaks out against Nationals (plus other notes)

The Orioles scored just one run in a loss Sunday and one run in Tuesday's 8-1 loss to Washington. Then last night they trailed 2-1 going to the bottom of the seventh. Was another loss with just one run scored in the offing?

Not this time.

The O's offense, which had scored just eight runs the last four games and 12 runs in five games since the All-Star break, finally broke out. They scored three runs in the seventh and five runs in the eighth to beat the Nationals 9-2 at Oriole Park. They scored eight runs on nine hits those two innings after scoring one run on five hits through six at-bats.

The Nats held back right-hander Stephen Strasburg to start their series-opener tonight in Atlanta. No doubt that the was right move, and Erick Fedde, who got Wednesday's start, allowed just one run in six innings. But their bullpen imploded, allowing nine hits and eight runs over two innings.

In the seventh, Anthony Santander's RBI single tied the game 2-2 and Chris Davis singled to center to put Baltimore ahead 3-2. Trey Mancini homered twice to produce his sixth career multi-homer game and first since Sept. 14, 2018 against the Chicago White Sox.

Since he snapped an 0-for-24 run with a double up the right-field line in the third inning Tuesday, he is 2-for-5 with two home runs. Mancini leads the team with 41 extra-base hits.

The Orioles, who went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position in Tuesday's loss, went 4-for-8 last night.

Givens was strong: If the scouts were out to watch right-hander Mychal Givens during this homestand, they've seen him very good twice now. He got a two-inning save in the Orioles' win over Tampa Bay in the opener of a doubleheader on Saturday. In that outing he needed just 22 pitches to get six outs, and 19 were four-seam fastballs. He averaged 96.3 mph and topped at 97.8 in that game. Last night he got a four-out save and threw 23 pitches. Again he was four-seam-heavy, with 20 fastballs that averaged 94.5 mph and topped at 96.5 mph.

Givens will be attractive to contenders as a mid- or late-inning bullpen arm. Teams will probably focus on his long track record more than on these last two outings, but the fact he has thrown so well lately is a nice bonus.

Contenders love to bring multiple flamethrowers late in games, and love coming at you in waves with big bullpen arms, and no doubt Givens will interest teams.

Final notes: The Orioles beat a hot Nationals team last night. They had been 31-12 (.721) since May 24, the best record in the majors in that span. Also, the Nationals had won eight of the last nine games between these two teams.

Since the Orioles and Nationals began playing each other in 2006, the O's now lead the all-time series 40-32. The O's have won the season series seven times against Washington, lost twice and there have been four season-series ties.

The O's ended a three-game losing streak and won for just the second time in seven games last night, and are 8-21 over their past 29 games.

Mancini recorded his ninth multi-RBI game of the year. He hit his first home runs since June 23, 15 games ago. He's batting .341 (12-for-38) with four home runs in 10 interleague games.

Santander recorded the Orioles' first hit of the game, a single in the second inning, and drove in the tying run in the seventh as he recorded his 10th multi-hit game. In 17 home games, he is batting .333 (22-for-66).

Davis drove in the Orioles go-ahead run in the seventh with his second hit of the night, getting his ninth multi-hit game of the season. He snapped a 0-for-14 skid with a single in the fifth inning. Over his past 13 games, he is batting .286 with two homers and six RBIs.