Orioles 5, Nationals 4
WASHINGTON -- Catcher Matt Wieters hit a two-run homer off reliever Blake Treinen in the eighth inning Thursday, and the Baltimore Orioles kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 5-4 win over the Washington Nationals, whose postseason aspirations are dwindling by the day.
The third and last game of the series was a makeup from a rainout Monday. Wieters smashed his seventh homer of the year after left fielder Steve Pearce led off the inning with a single off Treinen (2-4).
The Orioles (76-76), who won all three games of the series, pulled within 3 1/2 games of the idle Houston Astros for the second American League wild card. Washington (78-74), which lost for the seventh time in its past 10 home games, fell seven games back of the first-place Mets in the National League East pending the result of New York's Thursday night game at Cincinnati.
Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos hit a long solo homer to left off reliever Chaz Roe with one out in the seventh to tie the game at 3. Later in the inning, third baseman Yunel Escobar lined his third hit, a double, to score pinch hitter Matt den Dekker to make it 4-3. However, second baseman Anthony Rendon, who had singled, was thrown out at the plate on the double.
Washington scored two runs in the fifth to make it 3-2 on a sacrifice fly by Rendon and an RBI single by Escobar.
The Orioles took a 3-0 lead in the fourth on a two-run homer by second baseman Jonathan Scoop against starter Tanner Roark. It was his 15th homer of the year for Schoop, who had been hitless in his previous 15 at-bats.
Baltimore third baseman Manny Machado had an RBI single in the first to make it 1-0 as he drove in center fielder Gerardo Parra, who led off with a double.
Orioles starter Tyler Wilson, a University of Virginia product, made his fourth career start and first appearance at Nationals Park. He gave up two runs on six hits with four strikeouts in six innings but did not figure in the decision.
Roark allowed three runs and five hits in five innings. Starting catchers Ramos and Wieters each had two hits, including a homer.
The winning pitcher was rookie Mike Wright (3-5), who retired left fielder Jayson Werth for the final out of the seventh with two runners on base. Darren O'Day pitched the ninth for his third save of the series.
Baltimore is now 17-6 in one-run games against Washington in the 10-year history of the series, with a 4-1 mark the past two years.
NOTES: The Orioles selected the contract of OF David Lough from Triple-A Norfolk and recalled RHP Dylan Bundy from Double-A Bowie and put him on the 60-day disabled list with a right shoulder strain. Lough hit .202 in 129 at-bats for the Orioles earlier this year and .259 in 14 games for Norfolk. ... Orioles CF Adam Jones, bothered by back spasms, had an MRI in Baltimore on Thursday. Jones did not play in the Washington series. ... The Nationals begin a home series Friday with RHP Jordan Zimmermann (13-8, 3.49 ERA) facing Philadelphia Phillies RHP Jerad Eickhoff (1-3, 3.16). ... Baltimore RHP Kevin Gausman (3-6, 4.26) will face Red Sox LHP Rich Hill (1-0, 1.93) on Friday in Boston. Hill is a former Oriole.