Akin makes major league debut in 15-3 loss (updated)

Tommy Milone had a week to think about it.

How he could at least come close to duplicating his last start against the exact same opponent. Whether he could keep pounding the strike zone and inducing weak contact.

Shut out the Nationals for six innings? Let's give it another shot.

By the top of the fifth inning, the attention fell squarely upon pitching prospect Keegan Akin and his major league debut. Repeating the magic of last Friday wasn't going to happen.

Anthony Santander extended his RBI streak and gave Milone an early lead, but the Nationals overcame their second injury of the day, got an outstanding relief effort from Erick Fedde and won the series opener 15-3 at Camden Yards.

Catcher Bryan Holaday made his fifth career pitching appearance - he's done it with four teams - with two outs in the ninth inning and the Orioles down 14-3 after Adam Eaton's RBI double off Cody Carroll. Holaday allowed two hits, including Michael A. Taylor's run-scoring single. He retired Howie Kendrick on a fly ball.

It was the 17th time that an Orioles position player has been needed on the mound.

All three runs off Milone in the third were unearned. Hanser Alberto booted a potential double play ball and the Nationals extended their lead. The veteran left-hander allowed six runs and nine hits in four innings.

Akin, 25, finally made it out of the bullpen after the Orioles recalled him Saturday from the alternate camp site in Bowie. He logged two scoreless innings before Asdrúbal Cabrera led off the seventh with a home run to right field.

After retiring nine of the first 11 batters, Akin ran into trouble in the eighth by hitting Carter Kieboom to start the inning and surrendering a double to Yan Gomes - a rare hard-hit ball off the rookie. Carroll let both inherited runners score and Akin was charged with three runs and two hits in three-plus innings.

Kendrick, the first batter to face Akin, got ahead 2-0 and grounded out. Luis García, also in his major league debut, ran the count full and struck out on an 81 mph slider. Kieboom lined the next pitch, Akin's 12th of the inning, to center field and the former second-round draft pick was back in the dugout.

With his fastball ranging from 90-94 mph, Akin retired the first four batters before walking Victor Robles. A changeup produced a weak fly ball from Trea Turner and a slider got Eaton on a tapper near the mound.

Showing poise that was noticed on the bench, Akin rebounded from the home run by retiring the next three batters.

Eaton's bouncer into right field off Carroll increased the lead to 9-2 and completed Akin's line.

The game started 1 hour, 57 minutes late due to rain, which seems to follow these teams. Stephen Strasburg didn't make it through four batters, leaving with two outs in the first inning and a 2-0 count on Rio Ruiz.

Strasburg was making his second start, both against the Orioles, since going on the injured list with a sore wrist. He threw 16 pitches and was done. Fedde replaced him and tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings.

Santander hit a towering fly ball with one out that landed on the flag court for a 1-0 lead, giving him an RBI in eight straight games. His 20 RBIs put him in a four-way tie for most in the majors.

Doug DeCinces holds the club record for most consecutive games with an RBI at 11, set from Sept. 22, 1978-April 6, 1979. Here's the list, courtesy of STATS:

Doug DeCinces, 11, 09/22/1978 - 04/06/1979
Reggie Jackson, 10, 07/11/1976 - 07/23/1976
Miguel Tejada, 9, 04/08/2005 - 04/17/2005
Brooks Robinson, 8, 08/04/1965 - 08/10/1965
Merv Rettenmund, 8, 08/12/1973 - 08/26/1973
Mike Devereaux, 8, 08/29/1992 - 09/06/1992
Rafael Palmeiro, 8, 08/10/1996 - 08/17/1996
J.J. Hardy, 8, 08/02/2011 - 08/12/2011
Jonathan Schoop, 8, 07/17/2017 - 07/24/2017

Milone walked out of the dugout and headed toward the bullpen area less than a minute after Strasburg emerged from the Nationals side. They glanced at each other, jogged and backpedaled in the wet outfield grass, and began to warm up.

The Doors' "Light My Fire" played over the public address system. The Orioles just wanted to stay hot.

Milone had retired 10 of the first 11 batters in D.C., escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth and turned in his first scoreless outing as a starter since Sept. 2, 2015 with the Twins. He allowed three hits in six innings, walked none, struck out three and threw 61 of 90 pitches for strikes.

He also became the first Orioles' starter to complete six innings and had allowed one run, walked none and struck out 11 in his last two starts over 11 innings.

A hot team going with a hot hand tonight.

Milone breezed through the first inning but the Nationals put two runners on base in the second and took a 2-1 lead on Gomes' triple to right field. Santander charged the ball, attempted a diving catch and let it bounce past him.

Gomes had his first triple in four years and Strasburg wasn't going to be stuck with two losses on the same day.

The defense let down again in the third after Turner reached on an infield hit. Cabrera grounded to Alberto, who misplayed the ball. Turner scored on Juan Soto's fielder's choice.

Chris Davis got the force at second base and waited for a return throw from José Iglesias that never came.

The Nationals strung together three consecutive singles, including Kendrick's RBI blooper into right field, the first major league hit for García and Kieboom's line drive into left for a 5-1 lead.

Milone made it out of the inning at 62 pitches.

He'd fall behind 6-1 in the fourth after singles by Robles and Turner, a sacrifice bunt and Cabrera's fly ball. Milone wasn't being hit hard, but the Nationals collected five singles in a span of six batters.

Alberto had an RBI double off Will Harris in the seventh, but the Nationals scored six times in the eighth. Carroll was charged with four of the runs and the defense slipped again when Dwight Smith Jr. and Austin Hays let a fly ball drop between them with the bases loaded.

García added a two-run double for a 13-2 lead.

Chance Sisco was the first Orioles batter to strike out and it happened to close out the eighth inning. An odd stat for a team getting blown out.

Starling Castro fractured his right wrist while attempting to make a diving play in the suspended game. Strasburg walked off the mound with his manager and athletic trainer. But the Nationals wouldn't let the night become a total loss and the Orioles failed in their attempt to move five games above .500 for the first time since June 7, 2017.

Update: The winning streak ends at six games. After the game, Akin was optioned to the alternate training site in Bowie.

Manager Brandon Hyde on Akin: "I thought he threw the ball really well. I was really encouraged by how he threw the ball. Really nice life to his fastball, good tempo, he flashed some decent breaking balls. He went out and attacked hitters and I was really impressed with him making his debut tonight and facing a lot of tough hitters for the Washington Nationals and he did a nice job."

Hyde on Milone: "I thought Tommy threw the ball well. We just didn't play good defense behind him."

Hyde on Akin's composure: "I'm sure he was nervous and I'm sure there was a lot of anxiousness. I tried to give him plenty of time to get loose and try to get as much of the butterflies out as he possibly could. He threw the ball very well and I've been waiting to get him in the game and it just hasn't happened the last five or six days. Tonight he got an opportunity and I thought he competed very well."

Akin on what he felt coming into game: "I just told myself, 'Take a deep breath.' Honestly, it was a little different. I think I got one relief appearance in the past eight years. I think that helped. I was clueless going in. I took a deep breath and said, 'You've got this,' and that was it."

Akin on last six days: "I was a little nervous on Saturday and Sunday, but after that the nerves kind of wore off and it was more the anxiety kicked in. It was the anticipation, I guess. It's always fun to get the first one out of the way. It was fun."

Akin on outing: "I felt pretty good. Just a little different than I'm used to. Sitting for a couple innings, then you hear your name get called down in the 'pen and you've just got to get up and get going. I waited my whole life for this it was obviously a big goal since I was 16 or 17. It was fun and I'm glad to get the first one out of the way."

Milone on outing: "The kind of pitcher I am, I want to induce contact and I think for the most part, I felt like I was making good pitches. They were putting the bat on the ball and sometimes that happens. They put the ball in play and it can find the ground and find the holes and they did a good job with that and creating runs for themselves."

Milone on whether his stuff was different: "I actually felt pretty good. I felt like I was hitting my spots for the most part. I feel like only a couple balls were hit hard. But I felt like I was still making pitches, but they were able to put the ball in play and find some grass or dirt or holes and they did a good job of that. Sometimes you just have to tip your cap and kind of move forward."