WASHINGTON (AP) — Daylen Lile homered for the fourth time in his last four games, Zack Littell tossed five scoreless innings in his best start of the season and the Washington Nationals held on to beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on Friday night.
Lile, who had three hits and finished a triple shy of the cycle, hit two homers in Cincinnati on Tuesday and another Wednesday before going 0 for 4 on Thursday. Lile is batting .378 (14 for 37) with four doubles, four homers, 10 RBIs and eight runs scored in his last 10 games.
Littell allowed two hits, walked two and struck out three while lowering his ERA from 6.94 to 6.10.
Andrew Alvarez, recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Friday, pitched three-plus innings before Gus Varland relieved him with runners on first and second with no outs in the ninth. After pinch-hitter Leody Taveras walked to load the bases and Colby Mayo struck out, Jeremiah Jackson’s sacrifice fly made it 3-1 — preventing Baltimore from being shut out for the first time this season.
Gunnar Henderson greeted Richard Lovelady with an RBI single that moved the tying run to third. Taylor Ward walked, but Lovelady struck out Adley Rutschman to end it for his second save.
The Beltway Series opener drew a sellout crowd of 38,912 on Hot Dog Day at Nationals Park.
Shane Baz (1-5) allowed three runs on six hits for the Orioles.
CJ Abrams singled leading off the fourth, took third on Lile’s single and scored on Brady House’s fly to short right.
Lile homered in the sixth after Curtis Mead led off with a walk to make it 3-0.
Before the game, the Orioles announced that infielder Jordan Westburg underwent Tommy John surgery to repair a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will miss the entire season.
Up next
Orioles RHP Chris Bassitt (3-2, 5.21) opposes RHP Cade Cavalli (1-2, 4.02) on Saturday.
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