Orioles go from splitting doubleheader to losing designated hitter (we're tied)

WASHINGTON - Orioles manager Buck Showalter must fill out his lineup card without a designated hitter during the interleague series at Nationals Park. "It's only for two days," he said. Then, he couldn't resist having a little fun at the expense of his starting pitcher. "Of course, we get to watch Chris Tillman offensively tonight. I know that's what a lot of people are coming here for," Showalter said, trying to suppress the grin on his face. "That's another reason why we want Bud (Norris) to start tomorrow. Bud will tell you he's very proficient offensively." Well, compared to Tillman, who's 0-for-12 with three strikeouts in his career after grounding to second base tonight in the top of the third inning. Tillman struggles to make contact in batting practice, which can be a source of amusement among teammates. The guy isn't being paid to bat cleanup. Tillman is facing Stephen Strasburg tonight. It's really not fair. Norris is a career .145 hitter in 172 at-bats, with five doubles and 10 RBIs. He recorded both hits by an Orioles pitcher in 2013. Orioles pitchers are 0-for-9 with five strikeouts and three sacrifice bunts this season, and 3-for-47 over the last three years. Tillman threw 14 pitches in the first inning and seven in the second. He walked the leadoff hitter, Denard Span, and retired the next seven batters before Strasburg singled into right field in the third. Span is 4-for-10 with four RBIs lifetime against Tillman. Tillman has allowed 16 runs in the first inning this season and 15 in the second. Strasburg has retired eight in a row since Manny Machado's one-out double in the first. Adam Jones struck out in the first. He entered the game with the seventh-best career average (.358) against the Nationals/Expos franchise with 135 or more at-bats. Sean Casey is first at .398. Nick Markakis is 0-for-2. He began the night leading all active players with a career .339 interleague average. Reliever Julio DePaula, wearing No. 59, is in the Orioles bullpen. He made it here from Harrisburg. Update: Nelson Cruz homered on a 1-0 fastball from Strasburg in the fourth inning to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead. Machado collected his second hit, and Cruz homered to right-center field with one out. Cruz leads the majors with 28 home runs, one more than his 2013 total with the Rangers. Machado has three straight two-hit games and six in his last 11. Update II: Tillman lost his shutout and his lead in the sixth, allowing a leadoff single to Denard Span and a game-tying two-run homer to Anthony Rendon. Rendon jumped on the next pitch following Span's single and cleared the wall in right-center field for his 13th home run. Tillman had allowed two hits and thrown only 65 pitches going into the inning.