O's game blog: Series begins at Nationals Park

The Orioles resume interleague play tonight as they face their neighbors to the south. They play at Washington tonight in the first of three games this weekend at Nationals Park. It is the start of a 10-game road trip.

The Nationals (17-23) are in the last in the National League East, 4 1/2 games behind the division-leading New York Mets. The Nats are coming off a series where they lost three of four to the Chicago Cubs. They have lost four of six games and are 7-10 in May. They are 9-10 at home, going 2-3-1 in home series.

The Nationals are 1-14 when outhit by their opponent and 2-17 when they allow four runs or more.

Nats shortstop Trea Turner is 12-for-29 (.414) with three doubles, two homers, eight RBIs, three walks, one stolen base and six runs scored across his last seven games. He's hit safely in all seven and has driven in at least one run in six of the seven.

The Orioles just got swept three in a row at home by the Tampa Bay Rays and were outscored 29-14 in that series. The Orioles have lost seven of eight and 10 of 12 games.

The O's have gone 11-8 on the road this season. They are one of nine American League teams with a winning record on the road, including all five AL East teams, and one of 13 teams in the majors with a winning road record. Their road winning percentage (.579) is the sixth-best in the AL and seventh-best in the majors.

O's pitchers have posted a 3.34 ERA in 19 road games, the lowest road ERA in the AL and the third-lowest road ERA in the majors. O's starters have a 3.30 road ERA, while the bullpen has posted a 3.41 road ERA. The O's have a plus-9 run differential on the road, while having a minus-50 run differential in home games.

The Orioles and Nationals have played every year since 2006, with the O's winning the season series eight times and losing twice. The teams tied in five years. The O's hold the all-time lead in games 45-35 and are 22-18 at Nats Park. The Nationals will play in Baltimore from July 23-25. The O's went 4-2 against the Nats last year and swept a three-game series at Nationals Park. The Orioles are 6-4 in the last 10 games in this series and Baltimore is 5-3 at Nats Park since the 2018 season.

Catcher Pedro Severino, formerly with Washington, is a career .429 (9-for-21) hitter with two home runs and eight RBIs against the Nats. Outfielder Anthony Santander, activated off the injured list today, is batting .333 (13-for-39) with four home runs and 13 RBIs in 10 career games against the Nationals.

Right-hander Jorge López (1-4, 6.35 ERA) gets the start tonight. He gave up five runs (four earned) over two innings last Saturday versus the Yankees. In the two starts before that, he allowed two runs over 10 1/3 innings.

Tonight marks his first career start against the Nationals. He has earned a decision in three career relief appearances against the Nationals, posting a 3.00 ERA (3 ER/9.0 IP) with nine strikeouts and no walks.

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg (0-1, 6.30 ERA) comes off the injured list to face the Orioles. His last start was April 13. when he gave up seven earned runs in four innings against St. Louis. Not long after that outing. he went on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. The 2019 World Series MVP is 1-1 with a 5.48 ERA in five career starts versus the Orioles.

The Orioles have batted .271 with runners in scoring position this month, including .347 (17-for-49) in their last six games. They hit .211 with RISP during the month of April.

Catcher Chance Sisco's six caught stealings (6-for-9) lead the AL and are tied for the second-most in the majors.