Ceci Ferrara
August 25, 2014
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
As the 2014 MLB regular season begins to wind down, both the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles have proven they deserve a spot in the post-season. The Nationals have been on fire during the month of August, winning 18 of 23 games. From the 12th to the 21st, they strung together 10 straight wins—tying them with the Royals for the longest streak in the Majors this year. Their “absolutely epic” streak, as outfielder Bryce Harper called it, ended on Friday, when they fell to the Giants 3-10. They finished three games shy of the franchise record, accomplished by the Senators from August 8-20, 1933.
Despite the loss, the Nationals bounced back—with a 6-2 win on Saturday, and a 14-6 come from behind victory Sunday. Down 5-0 after three innings Sunday afternoon, the Nats refused to throw in the towel. They scored two runs in the fourth to put themselves on the board, 5-2. After the Giants scored another run in tight-hander Ryan Vogelsong he top of the sixth, the Nationals’ offense came alive. Ian Desmond hit a solo home-run and cut the lead to three, leading to replace rwith Jeremy Affeldt. But the pitching change did little to stop Washington’s momentum.
Harper had a double, followed by a single by Asdrubal Cabrebra. A wild pitch by Affeldt advanced Cabrera to second, and allowed Harper to score. Jose Lobaton then hit an RBI single, and Scott Hairston followed with an RBI double to tie it up 6-6. But Washington wasn’t done. An Anthony Rendon walk and RBI singles by Jayson Werth single, and Adam LaRoche drove in three more runs, to cap off a six-run sixth inning. By the end, Washington led the game 8-6.
The Washington bullpen took care of the rest, shutting out the Giants for the last three innings. The Nationals added five runs in the eighth to complete their 14-6 rout of San Francisco.
“They don’t quit. They don’t stop fighting,” manager Matt Williams said afterwards. “They feel it’s important to apply pressure even if we are down. Get some guys out there with opportunities. They did that again today. We did it by bunching base hits together. That will help you along the way. Homers happen, but the fact that they bunched base hits together says something about the approach and how they go about it.”
Their latest victory extends Washington’s NL East lead over the Atlanta Braves to eight games, improving their chances of not only making a playoff appearance—but winning the division.
Orioles
Just a short ride away on the Beltway, the Baltimore Orioles are enjoying their perch atop the AL East. With a 73-55 record, the O’s lead the Yankees by six games in the division and the Toronto Blue Jays by eight. They strengthened that lead with a four-game win streak last week, but lost ground over the weekend, in a three-game sweep by the Chicago Cubs. It was their first three-game loss since May.
Despite the stumble, the O’s remain optimistic. They play 21 of their final 27 games at home, where they are 34-26 on the season. “We’ve got a good team,” first baseman Steve Pearce said. “This is only a hiccup in our season. We’re going to go home and take care of business, and we’re going to flush this round trip out of our system.”
