Orioles and Nationals playing must-win games, hoping for outside help

As the interleague series between the Orioles and Nationals came to an end with a Bryce Harper grounder Thursday night, both under-achieving teams are left with an almost impossible predicament:

Win every game and hope for help.

The lifeless Nationals, swept by the Orioles after a 5-4 loss, have missed chances to pick up ground on the first-place Mets in the National League East. The Mets aren't the same dynamic team that swept the Nationals in D.C. earlier this month.

They finished a 3-6 homestand Wednesday and have lost five of their last six series. Essentially, the NL East race should be clinched. In reality, with the way the Nationals look, it's all done.

The Mets started a weekend series Thursday night in Cincinnati and go to Philadelphia before returning home to face the Nationals to wrap up the season.

"It's not great, it's not where we want to be," Nationals manager Matt Williams said.

Is the Orioles' situation any better? Maybe. It helps to have won eight of 11.

The Orioles are fewer games out of a playoff spot, but they have more teams to overcome. They've climbed over Cleveland, but are chasing the Astros, Twins and Angels.

A year ago at this time, each team had already cruised to a division title.

Now, each team is scoreboard watching, looking for help for unlikely sources, such as the Braves' Freddie Freeman, whose double and home run in the late innings helped the Braves beat the Mets on Wednesday night.

"I saw the Braves had the bases loaded and then they had three runs," Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez said. "I didn't know how it happened, but I liked the result."

Only the Nationals couldn't take advantage, getting beat 4-3 when the Orioles' Manny Machado hit a home run.

This weekend, the Nationals have to pull for Joey Votto and the Reds to beat the Mets - not just once, but every game.

"We've been pulling for other teams for a while," Nationals reliever Matt Thornton said. "We've been begging for help, now more than ever."

Similarly, the Orioles will be checking the scoreboard to see how the Astros, Twins and Angels are doing. There is no choice.

"We have to win, but we also need help," Matt Wieters said. "The season has gone from a marathon to a sprint."

The Orioles go to Boston this weekend and non-contending teams aren't easy to beat.

"Look what happened when we beat the Red Sox in 2011," Wieters said, referring to the Orioles beating Boston two of three in the final series to keep the Red Sox from going to the postseason.

"Players take pride in pushing through until the final out. That's why they train hard in the offseason."

At Nats Park on Wednesday night, Wieters noticed on the scoreboard when the Twins took a 4-0 lead en route to a win against Cleveland.

"But those teams still play each other four or five times, so we might have to pick and choose who we pull for each day," Wieters said.

This season, that's what September is all about.