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Strasburg hits first career HR as Nats top O's

May 20, 2012 - 11:32 PM Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Stephen Strasburg clubbed his first career home run and was one of three Nationals with a long ball as Washington salvaged the finale of a three-game interleague series with a 9-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

Danny Espinosa crushed a two-run home run and Bryce Harper slammed a two-run triple, Ian Desmond went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI, while Jesus Flores also clubbed a solo shot for the Nationals, who snapped a three-game skid.

"He launches about 10 a day when he takes batting practice," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said of Strasburg's home run.

Strasburg (4-1), in addition to his big day at the plate, allowed three runs -- one earned -- on four hits and a walk while fanning eight on the mound for the win.

Xavier Avery, Nick Markakis and Robert Andino knocked in runs for the Orioles, who had their five-game winning streak halted.

Wei-Yin Chen (4-1) allowed six runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out five in 4 1/3 innings to absorb the loss.

"He got hurt a lot with the breaking ball today," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "I don't think he gave up a base hit on the fastball, but he paid the price and made a lot of mistakes with his breaking ball today, that was pretty much the difference."

With the game tied at three, the Nats then took the lead for good in the fourth when Flores and Strasburg cracked back-to-back solo homers to make it a 5-3 game.

Strasburg got an 0-2 fastball from Chen right down the middle of the plate and crushed it just over the wall in center field. He circled the bases slowly and came back out of the dugout for a long curtain call.

Harper singled to begin the Washington fifth and came around to score on a single by Desmond to extend the lead to three.

The Nats broke the game open with three runs in the eighth to cap the scoring. Pinch-hitter Steve Lombardozzi singled and Espinosa followed with a mammoth home run over the wall in left-center field to make it 8-3. LaRoche lofted a sacrifice fly to bring home Harper later in the inning.

Earlier, Baltimore scratched out a run in its first at-bat. Avery began the inning with a single up the middle and Markakis brought him home with a base hit into right two batters later.

The O's added two unearned runs in the second to extend the lead to 3-0. Wilson Betemit lofted a fly ball to center to start the frame. Harper called off left fielder Tyler Moore, but dropped the ball, which allowed Betemit to reach second. Chris Davis then ripped a base hit to put runners on the corners and Andino followed with a groundout to score Betemit. Davis came home with the second run of the inning on a base hit by Avery later in the frame.

Washington got back in the game with three runs in the third. Strasburg started the inning with a single, Espinosa followed with a double and Harper atoned for his earlier gaffe by ripping a triple into the right-field corner to plate both runners. Desmond then sent a grounder to short that could have been a double play, but he beat it out, which allowed Harper to score the tying run.

Game Notes

Baltimore had its nine-game road winning streak snapped. It was the team's longest such road winning streak since August 29-September 24, 1999, when it won 10 straight...Despite the loss, the O's clinched their third consecutive winning road trip for the first time since 2005...The Nats improved to 15-1 when giving Strasburg two or more runs of support...Orioles outfielder Adam Jones extended his hitting streak to 12 games.