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Orioles-Nationals Preview

May 22, 2010 - 4:20 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Baltimore (13-29) at Washington (21-21), 4:05 p.m. EDT

The Washington Nationals' strong start to the season is starting to become a distant memory since they are playing about as well as their local rivals to the north.

The Nationals are below .500 for the first time since April 15 after losing the opener of their series to the Baltimore Orioles, and they will try to get even with baseball's worst team Saturday in the nation's capital.

Washington (21-22) gave area fans some hope with a 13-10 April and moved as high as five games over the break-even mark this season. That was in stark contrast to the start the long-suffering Baltimore fans endured as the Orioles (14-29) lost 16 of 18 to begin 2010 and seem destined for a 13th consecutive losing season.

These teams don't look too different now.

The Nationals have dropped seven of eight after falling 5-3 on Friday. They have scored 25 runs in that span and are below .500 for the first time since they were 4-5.

"I don't think we're in a rut. We're just not scoring big runs when we need to," right fielder Willie Harris said. "We're on a little skid, but I don't think it's anything serious, anything to worry about."

Harris had a two-run homer to mark the second time the Nationals have gone deep in six games.

The Orioles improved to 5-2 against the Nationals over the last two seasons. Adam Jones homered and Craig Tatum, filling in for Matt Wieters, had two hits and two RBIs.

Wieters was rested after fouling a ball off his knee in Thursday's 13-7 loss at Texas. He went 0 for 5 in two games against Washington last year and believes he will return Saturday.

(I'll) play the next two games and be 100 percent, instead of 60-70 percent," Wieters told the Orioles' official website.

The Orioles may be confident of their chances with Brad Bergesen (3-3, 5.45) on the mound. The right-hander went 2-0 with a 3.67 ERA in four interleague starts last season as a rookie, including 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two against Washington.

Bergesen went 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA in his first three starts this month before his win streak ended Monday. He yielded four runs over 6 2-3 innings in a 4-3 home loss to Kansas City.

Washington will counter with Craig Stammen (1-2, 5.86), who is 0-2 with a 4.71 ERA in five outings since his lone victory April 19 against Colorado. He allowed four runs over six innings Monday in a 6-2 loss at St. Louis.

The right-hander went 1-1 with a 4.24 ERA in three interleague starts last season, and has not faced Baltimore.

Stammen has helped himself at the plate, going 5 for 16 and driving in four runs to match his total from last season.