Baltimore Orioles Daily: Offense bottoms out as Nats complete Beltway sweep

The Baltimore Orioles were blanked by Max Scherzer and the Washington Nationals, bringing an end to an unfortunate series.

The Baltimore Orioles headed into Wednesday’s game having scored just two runs over their last 26 innings, and with Max Scherzer on the mound for the Nationals, they didn’t have much of an opportunity to reverse that trend. The imposing ace had his way with the Birds lineup, holding them to two hits over eight scoreless innings.

Scherzer lost his perfect game in the second inning, when the struggling Chris Davis singled to left field, but Manny Machado was the only other Oriole to get a hit off the reigning Cy Young Award winner. Closer Sean Doolittle found trouble in the ninth, allowing Craig Gentry and Adam Jones to reach base, but it wasn’t enough for the Birds to avoid a 2-0 loss.

The poor offensive effort totally negated a strong start from rookie David Hess, who went six innings and gave up just one run. Ignoring his lackluster May 20 start, the Tennessean has a 1.93 ERA in 23.1 innings — not bad for his first month in the bigs.

The Birds will try to right the ship, but their next opponent, the Yankees, aren’t exactly pushovers. That four-game slate will get started tonight at 7:05 p.m. ET. Until then, here’s what you might have missed yesterday.

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Best of Orioles news and analysis across the web from 5/30/18

The Nationals are getting the best of the Orioles in a rivalry that didn’t have to be bitter: The tension between these two franchises added another layer of disappointment to a brutal series for the Birds. Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post provides a perspective from the other side.

Lack of late-inning options puts Orioles’ roster problems into focus: With a weak bullpen and a thin bench, the Orioles have been consistently overmatched in the later innings. Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun lays out the situation.

Orioles 2014 draft review: The cost of trying to win now: The Birds made some aggressive roster moves ahead of the 2014 season, and they paid for them in the form of draft picks. Mark Brown of Camden Chat provides the lowdown on that summer’s weak haul.

Orioles players pose with puppies (and kittens) for 2019 pet calendar: The Orioles haven’t given their fans much to smile about this year, but if you’re an animal lover, that could change soon. The Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter will soon release a calendar featuring players like Manny Machado and Joey Rickard along with their favorite furry friends, reports Katherine Fominykh of the Baltimore Sun.

Next: The top 5 strikeout pitchers in Orioles history

What do you think: will the Birds take any games from the Yankees this weekend? Let us know on social media, and keep it here at Birds Watcher for more updates on the Baltimore Orioles.