Strasburg hurt as Nationals beat Orioles 15-3 for 'split'

BALTIMORE The Washington Nationals overcame an injury to Stephen Strasburg, rebounded from a defeat that took five days to decide and weathered a lengthy rain delay before using a 19-hit attack to beat the Baltimore Orioles 15-3 Friday night.

Strasburg left after throwing only 16 pitches in his second outing of the season. His first start came against the Orioles in a game that was suspended Sunday at Nationals Park and completed Friday at Camden Yards with Baltimore winning 6-2.

The Nationals are very protective of Strasburg, who was held out at the beginning of the season with a nerve issue in his right hand. The injury evidently is still a problem, as last year’s World Series MVP was shaking his hand on the mound before walking to the dugout.

No immediate update was provided by the Nationals. Before the game, however, manager Dave Martinez said the team will make every effort to prevent the injury from impacting the 32-year-old’s future.

Strasburg gave up a solo homer to Anthony Santander and got two outs before departing. Erick Fedde (1-1) was exceptional in relief, allowing just two hits over 5 1/3 scoreless innings.

Nationals prospect Luis Garca was summoned from the team’s alternate site to replace injured Starlin Castro, who broke his wrist on Friday. The 20-year-old Garca started at second base in his big league debut; his first hit came off Tommy Milone (1-2) and picked up his first two RBIs with a double the eighth.

And, in the field, Carter Kieboom had 11 assists, a Nationals record for a third baseman.

A long day for both teams began with the completion of the game Sunday that was suspended because of a tarp malfunction in Washington.

Baltimore led 5-2 in the top of the sixth when rain halted play. The grounds crew failed to get a tangled-up tarp out in time to prevent the infield from becoming an unplayable quagmire that could not be dried.

The game resumed at Camden Yards with the Nationals serving as the home team.

Wearing their road gray uniforms, the Orioles secured a better-late-than-never victory that stretched their winning streak to six. The surge began with wins on Friday and Saturday in Washington and continued with a three-game sweep in Philadelphia.

It was definitely strange having to wait five days for that one, Orioles catcher Bryan Holiday said. Im glad we were able to get that in and seal the deal.

Minutes after the final out, the grounds crew brought out the tarp and covered the field flawlessly before a heavy rain delayed the series opener for nearly two hours.

It was the second time during this anything-goes season the Orioles played the role of the road team while at home. They dropped a pair to Miami as the visitors earlier this month.

Before the rain came Sunday, Baltimore got two RBIs apiece from Hanser Alberto and Santander in a five-run fifth against Strasburg (0-1), one of many stars for the Nationals in their World Series win last year.

Travis Lakins (2-0) got the victory by retiring the only batter he faced to end the fourth.

MOVES

Nationals: Garca wasn’t the only Nationals player to make his big league debut. Summoned from the team’s alternate site Friday afternoon, 29-year-old RHP Dakota Bacus retired all six batters he faced in the completion of Sunday’s game. … LHP Sam Freeman (flexor strain) was moved to the 60-day IL.

Orioles: Selected the contract of RHP Chandler Shepherd and optioned RHP David Hess to their alternate site at Double-A Bowie.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: LHP Sean Doolittle (10-day IL, right knee) is going to wait a bit before he pitches off a mound. I kind of want his knee to feel fine before he starts throwing, Martinez said. We dont want him to develop any bad habits.

UP NEXT

Nationals: Patrick Corbin (2-0, 2.50) makes his fourth start of the season Saturday night, the first against a team that isn’t based in New York. Both his wins have come against the Mets.

Orioles: Asher Wojciechowski (0-1, 3.95) makes his sixth career appearance against the Nationals, still looking for his first win against them.

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