O's build early lead, hang on to beat Nats 4-3

The Orioles built an early four-run lead and they needed every run tonight. Steve Pearce hit an early homer and the bullpen came up big late as the Orioles held off the Nationals 4-3 at Camden Yards. The Orioles won two of three this week from the Nationals to improve to 50-41 on the season and to 28-21 in the all-time series with Washington. Leading by one in the top of the eighth, Darren O'Day pitched out of a two-out, bases loaded jam. He got Wilson Ramos to fly out as the Nats left the bases loaded. Earlier Tommy Hunter stranded the potential tying run in the sixth and pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings. In the ninth, Zach Britton pitched around a two-out infield single to get his 15th save. Since he suffered a blown save June 20, Britton has pitched nine scoreless innings and is 6-for-6 in save chances. Washington starter Gio Gonzalez began tonight with a 22-inning scoreless streak, but it ended with the second batter he faced. Pearce homered to left on a 2-0 pitch in the bottom of the first. Pearce hit No. 11 to end a 3-for-19 stretch. The O's added to that 1-0 lead with two outs and none on in the third. Nick Markakis walked, Pearce singled and Adam Jones doubled to right to make it 2-0. The O's then got two runs on a Nelson Cruz grounder up the middle. Nats shortstop Ian Desmond fielded the ball and appeared to have a play at first but he spun around and threw wildly to third. The play was scored RBI single for Cruz and error for Desmond as two runs scored to make it 4-0. Wei-Yin Chen gave up just one hit through three on 30 pitches but got into trouble in the middle innings. Down 4-1 in the sixth, the Nats pulled within a run a Jayson Werth homer and a Desmond RBI double. Chen went 5 2/3 innings allowing eight hits and the three runs with no walks and six strikeouts. He threw 89 pitches and got the win to go to 9-3 with 4.15 ERA. Now the Orioles get set to host the Yankees in the final series before the All-Star break. On Friday night, Miguel Gonzalez (4-5, 4.22 ERA) faces Hiroki Kuroda (6-6, 4.20 ERA).