The Battle of the Beltway came to a season split as Washington Nationals right hander Joe Ross struck out a career-high 12 batters in a 6-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in a makeup of the May 11 rainout.

Ross was excellent in 7 1/3 innings of work, allowing one run in four hits and no walks. He struck out the side in multiple innings, and Washington starters have combined for 34 strikeouts in their last three outings.

It was Trea Turner that provided the offense the Nationals needed. Washington scored first following a four-pitch walk to Turner to start the game. He went on to steal second and third base before scoring the first run of the game on a Bryce Harper infield single. Stephen Drew would score Harper on a RBI single, and Michael Taylor added two more to give the Nats a 4-0 lead after the first inning.

Nationals tacked on another run in the second to make it 5-0 following an Adam Lind sacrifice fly to score Turner once again. Turner lead off the inning with a single and was able to get to third later in the inning after a successful double steal. He matched a career high with three stolen bases.

Stephen Drew tacked on the final run for the Nats with a solo home run off Ubaldo Jimenez in the fifth inning.

Joey Rickard’s RBI single off Ross in the seventh gave the Orioles their only run of the evening.

It was another rough outing for the Orioles rotation as Alec Asher lasted just four innings before being lifted for Jimenez. Asher allowed five runs on seven hits in four innings, with four walks and six strikeouts. The first inning was his demise as he faced all nine hitters and tossing 41 pitches in the frame.

Manny Machado was held out of the lineup for precautionary reasons despite a MRI on his left hand that came back clean. He is listed as day-to-day. Chris Davis started at third base in his place.

Adam Jones was also out for rest. Rickard manned center field in his place, while Trey Mancini returned to the starting lineup one day after his late-inning heroics propelled the Orioles to a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Orioles will travel to the Bronx this weekend for a three-game set with the New York Yankees. Baltimore currently sits 3.5 games behind the Yankees in the American League East. Dylan Bundy will take the mound for the Orioles. Jordan Montgomery will be on the hill for New York.

Joe Serpico

Joe learned his journalistic ways in the halls of Annenberg and McGonigle en route to becoming Temple Made. He was a Temple News contributor, and the lead reporter for the 2011 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship. A die-hard Philadelphia sports fan, Joe has suffered through many years of letdowns by his hometown teams.