While most – if not all – previous meetings between the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals haven’t had much significance, this year’s Beltway series has all the makings of a heavyweight showdown.

With both teams surprisingly very much in contention, the Adam Jones-led Orioles open a three-game set with the Nationals looking to extend their longest road winning streak in 13 seasons Friday night.

After 14 consecutive losing campaigns, Baltimore (25-14) enters the weekend atop the AL East thanks in large part to an impressive power display. The Orioles have belted a major league-leading 61 homers – equaling their total through 62 games in 2011.

Washington (23-15), which finished third in the NL East last year after coming in fourth or fifth in each of the previous eight seasons, has also been formidable. Leading the majors with a 2.94 ERA, the Nationals have held on to the division lead for much of the season but currently sit one-half game behind Atlanta.

“As far as the Orioles go, both teams are climbing and still getting better,” Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman told MLB.com. “In previous years, it was tough to be a Nationals fan and an Orioles fan, so it’s nice to see both teams winning, and people in this area rooting for them.”

The Nationals and Orioles split six games in 2011, with each club taking two of three at home. Baltimore, 25-26 all-time in this series, hasn’t experienced much road success against the NL of late, dropping 15 of 21.

“The bottom line is, if it’s important to our fans, it’s important to us,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “Initially, we are just busy trying to prepare three starting pitchers to play offense.

“We all know, this type of thing, that it’s obviously advantage to the National League team, they’ve got people (that) are going to be asked in our ballpark to do what they do all the time. But they are asking a lot of people (on our club) to do something they haven’t done before, and I don’t think it’s particularly fair.”

Coming off their third straight win overall and a two-game sweep at Kansas City, the Orioles have won seven in a row in opposing ballparks – their longest road winning streak since a 10-game run Aug. 29-Sept. 24, 1999. Baltimore took Thursday’s series finale 5-3 behind six solid innings from Brian Matusz and Jones’ third homer in as many days.

The center fielder has hit seven of his team-leading 13 homers over his last 13 games.

“Jones is having a great year and we’re proud of him,” Showalter added. “He doesn’t ever give in. You always feel that if he struggles, somebody is going to pay down the line. He’s a very competitive young man.”

Batting .389 with five homers and 17 RBIs in 24 career games against Washington, Jones is 3 for 14 with one home run against Nationals scheduled starter Edwin Jackson (1-1, 3.71 ERA).

Jackson, who’s gone 0-1 with a 4.25 ERA over his last five starts, yielded three runs and five hits over five innings of Sunday’s 9-6 walk-off loss at Cincinnati.

The right-hander is 5-0 with a 2.68 ERA in his last eight outings versus the Orioles, the most recent of which came while with the Chicago White Sox in August 2010.

Jackson will be opposed by Jake Arrieta (2-4, 5.21), who’s gone 1-4 over his last five outings. Aside from throwing eight innings of five-hit ball during a 5-0 victory at Yankee Stadium on May 2, Arrieta has compiled a 9.90 ERA over those other four starts.

The right-hander surrendered a season-worst seven runs and a career-high 10 hits over just 3 2-3 innings of Sunday’s 9-8 loss to Tampa Bay.

“Really the only thing I take away from it is, just I got to get the ball down,” Arrieta said.

Arrieta has struggled against Washington, giving up a combined 12 runs over two starts spanning just eight innings.

The Nationals lost 5-3 to Pittsburgh on Thursday, splitting a two-game set. Washington hasn’t dropped back-to-back home games since Sept. 16-17.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.— The Baltimore Orioles took their second game from the Royals within a span of 24 hours Thursday afternoon with another comeback victory over Kansas City at Kauffman Stadium.

With their 5-3 win over the Royals, the Orioles (25-14) went 11 games over .500 for the first time this season and ensured their stay in first place in the American League East for the night.

The victory was their seventh straight on the road. Their 13-6 road record is the best in the majors.

Shortstop J.J. Hardy — who fueled a ninth-inning rally to force extra innings in the Orioles’ 15-inning win Wednesday night — hit a two-out, broken-bat single in the seventh inning to break open a score tied at 3.

Hardy, who entered the day hitting .357 in May, took Aaron Crow’s pitch to right field for the game-winning hit. Wilson Betemit scored the tying run earlier in the inning when Chris Davis’s liner to center went past center fielder Jarrod Dyson, allowing Betemit to score from first.

“Everybody’s contributing,” said Orioles center fielder Adam Jones, who hit his team-high 13th homer of the season, a two-run shot in the fourth inning. “We’re not leaning on one guy in particular. We’re just trying to win games as a team.”

And left-hander Brian Matusz (3-4) turned in his third quality start in his last five outings, yielding three runs on seven hits through six innings. He walked one and struck out two.

The Orioles’ bullpen, fresh off eight innings of work Wednesday night, tossed three scoreless innings to preserve the win, with Luis Ayala, Pedro Strop and Jim Johnson tossing scoreless frames in the seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively. Johnson earned his 14th save.

— Baltimore Sun

KANSAS CITY, MO. Adam Jones hit a two-run homer, J.J. Hardy also drove in a pair of runs and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals 5-3 on Thursday for their seventh straight road win.

The Orioles also improved to 12-1 when Jones goes deep, including a victory over the Royals the previous night, when his homer in the 15th inning decided the game.

Jones has homered 13 times this year; he didn’t hit No. 13 until June 25 last season.

Brian Matusz (3-4) won for the third time in four starts after enduring a career-worst 12-decision losing streak. He allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk in six innings.

Relievers Luis Ayala and Pedro Strop made it through two innings unscathed, and Jim Johnson worked the ninth for his 14th save. He’s converted 22 straight since Aug. 14, 2011.

Luke Hochevar (3-4) pitched well for six innings. His only real miscue was the two-run homer by Jones in the fourth. But the right-hander ran into trouble in the seventh, allowing back-to-back singles by Wilson Betemit and Chris Davis, the start of a three-run inning for the Orioles.

Hochevar was pulled after Davis’s base hit, which centre-fielder Jarrod Dyson grossly misplayed. The ball bounced in front of him and went to the wall, allowing Betemit to score.

Reliever Aaron Crow came into the game and got two quick outs, but then walked No. 9 hitter Luis Exposito and leadoff hitter Xavier Avery to load the bases. Hardy followed with a two-run single that broke the tie and sent the Orioles on to yet another road victory and their longest streak of them since 1999.

Kansas City had ample opportunities to pick up a couple wins against Baltimore, but instead wound up with a pair of frustrating losses in the two-game, midweek series.

Jonathan Broxton blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning of the opener Wednesday night, and the Royals eventually lost their third straight extra-inning game. They jumped out to a three-run lead after three innings Thursday before the Orioles mounted their comeback.

Humberto Quintero’s two-run double and Johnny Giavotella’s RBI single to right brought in the runs for Kansas City, but that’s all that Matusz allowed in an otherwise strong outing.

Hochevar was just as good most of the afternoon.

After watching his ERA balloon to a run per inning, the former No. 1 overall draft pick put together seven innings of three-hit ball in his last start against the White Sox. Hochevar ran his scoreless innings streak to 10 before making a mistake on a 3-2 pitch to Jones.

NOTES: There was a three-man umpire crew after Ed Rapuano left prior to the game for family reasons. … The fire department was called to Kauffman Stadium when smoke was seen atop the scoreboard, where fireworks are shot off. Firefighters climbed up and extinguished the residue causing the smoke. … Royals RHP Luis Mendoza will start Friday night’s opener against Arizona. Orioles RHP Jake Arrieta will take the mound Friday night at Washington.

The Associated Press

Adam Jones seems to do his best work as a one-man wrecking crew, and that’s fine with the Baltimore Orioles.

Jones and the Orioles seek to extend their longest road winning streak in more than 12 years Thursday when they wrap up a two-game series at Kansas City against the Royals.

Jones’ 12 homers are good for a third-place tie in the AL, but still far behind the 18 hit by Josh Hamilton of Texas. While most teams know to pitch around the Rangers’ slugger, challenging Jones with no one on base has been a dicey proposition.

He is batting .365 (31 for 85) with the bases empty with nine homers, including the go-ahead shot in the top of the 15th inning of Wednesday’s 4-3 Orioles victory. It marked the ninth time a home run by Jones either gave the Orioles (24-14) the lead or moved them into a tie, and they improved to a major league-best 12-5 on the road.

“I had three opportunities earlier with men in scoring position that I did not succeed in, which is by far the most frustrating thing for me,” Jones said. “I was 0 for 3. I did not give one of my seven at-bats away. I can live with myself when I do that.”

Jones is hitting .314 (11 for 35) during a current eight-game hitting streak with four homers – all solo shots – and seven RBIs.

“I know Jonesy was a little frustrated there with some previous at-bats, but he got back under control and hit a mistake,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “Jonesy is having a great year. Jonesy doesn’t ever give in. You always feel like if he struggles at some point someone is going to pay down the line… He’s a very competitive young man.”

Baltimore has won six straight on the road, its longest such streak since reeling off 10 in a row Aug. 29-Sept. 24, 1999. Remarkably, three of the games during the current streak have lasted at least 13 innings.

Jones has enjoyed facing Royals scheduled starter Luke Hochevar (3-3, 7.20 ERA), going 6 for 15 with three doubles. Additionally, the right-hander has rolled out the welcome mat to all opponents at home this season, going 0-2 with an 11.91 ERA in three starts – giving up 15 runs and 18 hits in 11 1-3 innings.

Hochevar, though, bounced back from a horrid home outing his last time out, scattering three hits and one walk in seven innings of Saturday’s 5-0 road victory over the Chicago White Sox.

“I just tried to stay within my approach and continue to battle like crazy and make good pitches. Just try to go out and execute quality pitches and stay the course,” said Hochevar, who got his first win in five career decisions versus the Orioles on Aug. 3, also the last time he faced them.

While Hochevar is trying to shake his home struggles, Baltimore counterpart Brian Matusz (2-4, 5.50) is seeking his third win in four starts. The left-hander yielded three runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings Saturday, which was enough to get credit for a 5-3 victory over Tampa Bay.

While Matusz is 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA in three road outings in 2012, he did limit the Yankees to one run over 6 1-3 innings May 1 to win his last start outside Baltimore. He did not factor in the decision of his lone start at Kansas City in 2010, his only career appearance against the Royals.

Kansas City (15-21) is a major league-worst 4-14 at home, but has won six of eight overall despite Wednesday’s defeat.

CBSSports.com wire reports
May 17, 2012

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Adam Jones turned his night around with a swing of the bat.

Jones homered with one out in the 15th inning, lifting the Baltimore Orioles to a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.

Jones was hitless in six at-bats before connecting for his team-leading 12th home run — nine of them tying the game or giving the Orioles a lead. Jones sent a 2-2 pitch from Nate Adcock (0-1), the fifth Kansas City pitcher, far over the left field wall.

Jones came to the plate in the third, eighth and 12th innings with runners in scoring position.

“I had three opportunities earlier with men in scoring position that I did not succeed in, which is by far the most frustrating thing for me,” Jones said. “I was 0 for 3. I did not give one of my seven at-bats away. I can live with myself when I do that.”

Adcock hung a slider and Jones delivered.

“I had some pitches to hit, just missed them, part of it, 0 for 6,” Jones said. “Some people were behind me, yelling at me, `Hey, come on Jones.’ I showed them. After I hit that, they shut up the heck up.”

Jones is hitting .290 with 24 RBI and could earn a return trip to Kansas City on July 10 to for the All-Star game at Kauffman Stadium.

“I know Jonesy was a little frustrated there with some previous at-bats, but he got back under control and hit a mistake,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “Jonesy is having a great year. Jonesy doesn’t ever give in. You always feel like if he struggles at some point someone is going to pay down the line. He doesn’t forget. It’s nothing personal. It’s competition. It’s just the way he’s wound. He’s a very competitive young man.”

The Orioles improved to 5-0 in extra-inning road games.

“It’s pretty crazy what this team does,” said Orioles starting pitcher Tommy Hunter. “It’s 13 innings, 15 innings, 17 innings.”

The Orioles beat the Red Sox 9-6 in 17 innings on May 6.

Kevin Gregg (1-1) pitched two hitless innings, walking one, to pick up the victory. Jim Johnson earned his 13th save.

Royals right-hander Felipe Paulino, who was making only his third start after beginning the season on the disabled list with a right forearm strain, held the Orioles to five hits in seven scoreless innings. He struck out nine and walked two.

“Great pitching from Paulino and great pitching from Adcock,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “They gave us an opportunity to put it away. We just couldn’t do it.”

The Royals bullpen had a 1.04 ERA in the past seven games but relievers Jonathan Broxton and Kelvin Herrera gave up three runs on six hits in the eighth and ninth innings.

Broxton was trusted with a 3-1 lead in the ninth, but blew his second seven in 10 opportunities and his first since April 11 at Oakland. Broxton gave up a solo homer to Wilson Betemit with one out and three singles to produce the tying run. J.J. Hardy’s two-out hit scored pinch-runner Ryan Flaherty to make it 3-all.

Humberto Quintero’s two-out single in the fifth scored Jeff Francoeur, who led off the inning with a double, and Alcides Escobar, who was hit by a pitch. It was Quintero’s first multi-RBI game with the Royals.

The Orioles cut the lead to 2-1 in the eighth, when Hardy and Nick Markakis led off the inning with doubles against rookie reliever Herrera.

Alex Gordon’s two-out double in the eighth scored Mitch Maier to give the Royals a 3-1 advantage. Maier ran for Billy Butler, who had singled for his second hit.

Orioles starter Tommy Hunter yielded two runs on seven hits in seven innings. He threw only 82 pitches and was backed by double plays in three of the first four innings.

Royals second baseman Chris Getz left with a bruised left rib after a collision with Chris Davis on an infield single in the fifth inning. Irving Falu replaced Getz in the seventh inning and singled. Falu has a hit in each of his five big league games.

Notes

• Royals LHP Danny Duffy, who has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament, will see Dr. Lewis Yocum on Friday in Tempe, Ariz., for a second opinion.
• The Royals have not announced who will start Friday and Sunday against Arizona. “If everything holds to form,” Yost said he would probably start RHP Luis Mendoza Friday and RHP Vin Mazzaro Sunday. Mazzaro made his first start Tuesday at Texas and picked up the victory, allowing three runs in five innings. LHP Brian Matusz, who is 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA in three road appearances, will start Thursday for the Orioles. The Royals will counter with RHP Luke Hochevar, who is 0-2 with an 11.91 ERA in three home starts.
• The Orioles are 11-1 when Jones’ homers.
• Royals 1B Eric Hosmer went 0 for 7 to drop his average to .174.