WASHINGTON — An Orioles pitching staff that manager Brandon Hyde described pregame as hanging on by a thread lost grip completely and let go of a significant lead in a 12-9 loss to the Washington Nationals on Saturday.
Staked to a 6-1 lead thanks in part to rookie Ryan Mountcastle’s first-inning grand slam, the Orioles watched it disappear and then some thanks to a Josh Harrison grand slam off rookie Bruce Zimmermann before Adam Plutko and Tanner Scott were battered in relief to make for a miserable afternoon in front of 15,440 fans at Nationals Park.
Despite the promising start, the Orioles have now lost a season-high five straight games and 12 of 14.