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Road-streaking O's seek series win over Nationals

May 19, 2012 - 3:03 PM (Sports Network) - The Baltimore Orioles will try to secure their first series victory at Washington in three years as they play the middle contest of a three-game set tonight with the Nationals.

The Orioles had lost five of their past seven on the road in this Beltway Series since winning consecutive games in Washington on May 22-23, 2009 to claim the series that season. Baltimore, though, extended its overall winning streak on the road to eight straight with Friday night's 2-1 triumph in 11 innings.

Nick Markakis hit a solo homer in the top of the 11th off Ryan Mattheus and Adam Jones added two hits and an RBI for the Orioles, who are on their longest road winning streak since taking 10 in a row from Aug. 29-Sept. 24, 1999.

Baltimore won its fourth in a row overall and is two games up on Tampa Bay for first place in the American League East.

"Hopefully it bodes well mentally," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "It's a loose clubhouse. There's a lot of confidence in close ballgames."

Ian Desmond smacked a game-tying solo shot in the sixth to account for the only run for the Nationals, who have dropped four of their last six.

"A game like that is frustrating," remarked Washington skipper Davy Johnson. "We pitched good. I thought the bullpen pitched good -- one pitch, ball game."

Johnson's club will try to even the series tonight behind Ross Detwiler, who had gone at least six innings in four straight outings before Monday's five- inning effort versus the Padres.

The left-hander got a no-decision, allowing five runs -- a season-high four earned -- on seven hits and a walk. He is 3-2 with a 2.75 earned run average in seven starts this season.

"The team could tell I didn't have my best stuff tonight, but they kept me in the game," Detwiler told Washington's website.

Detwiler, 26, is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in two previous starts versus the Orioles.

Baltimore hurler Jason Hammel takes the mound tonight sporting a 4-1 mark and 2.68 ERA in seven starts, but is coming off his roughest outing of the season.

Hammel made his first start since May 5 on Monday because of a sore knee and gave up five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits and three walks over five- plus frames versus the Yankees. All of his runs allowed came after the third inning and he did not factor into the decision of an 8-5 loss.

The 29-year-old righty is undefeated against the Nats, going 3-0 with a 3.55 ERA in five appearances.

Baltimore leads the all-time interleague series with Washington 20-17 as the clubs split six meetings a season ago.

The Orioles went 7-11 in interleague play last year, while the Nats were 8-7 versus the AL.