BALTIMORE (AP) — Matt Harvey allowed one hit in six scoreless innings in another outstanding performance and the Baltimore Orioles held on to beat the fading Washington Nationals 5-3 on Saturday night.
Harvey (5-10) allowed only one baserunner — Trea Turner hit a double in the fourth. The right-hander struck out four. Harvey went 12 straight starts without a win, but now he’s thrown six scoreless innings in each of his past two starts.
Trey Mancini and Ryan Mountcastle each hit a solo homer, and the Orioles added three more runs in the sixth. Washington, which scratched ace Max Scherzer before the game because of triceps discomfort, has lost 14 of its last 19.
Juan Soto hit a solo homer for the Nationals in the seventh, and Turner added a two-run single in the eighth. But Dillon Tate worked a scoreless ninth for his second save.
Jon Lester (3-5) allowed three runs and three hits in five-plus innings after starting in place of Scherzer.
Mancini, who has a seven-game hitting streak since the All-Star break, gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead in the first when he went deep for the first time since finishing second to Pete Alonso of the Mets in the Home Run Derby. Mountcastle homered in the fourth.
Cedric Mullins doubled to lead off the Baltimore sixth, chasing Lester. Then Austin Hays hit an RBI double off reliever Austin Voth, and Mancini followed with a run-scoring single. Maikel Franco’s sacrifice fly made it 5-0.
Orioles reliever Tanner Scott hit the first two batters he faced in the eighth, loading the bases with nobody out. Then pinch-hitter Victor Robles struck out looking on a full count, and Alcides Escobar struck out as well.
Turner singled to make it 5-3, but Soto followed with a foul popup.
MOVE
The Orioles selected the contract of RHP Conner Greene from Triple-A Norfolk.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: Manager Dave Martinez said Scherzer is expected to make his next start. … Washington put INF Jordy Mercer on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Wednesday, with a left calf strain. The Nationals recalled INF Carter Kieboom from Triple-A Rochester. He struck out to end the game.
UP NEXT
John Means (4-3) starts for the Orioles in Sunday’s series finale against Washington’s Paolo Espino (2-2). The Nationals swept a three-game series at home against Baltimore in May, and now the Orioles are trying to return the favor by taking three in a row.
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