The Baltimore Orioles' road trip got off to a frustrating start Tuesday night, as they dropped the series opener to the Washington Nationals, 3-2. It was a familiar story for a team that has struggled all season to build on positive momentum.
Coming off an encouraging series win against the New York Yankees, the Orioles had every reason to feel confident. Instead, they ran into a pitcher who had been the worst in baseball—and still couldn't find a way to capitalize.
Zack Littell entered the game with an alarming 6.94 ERA and an 8.25 FIP, having surrendered home runs at an alarming rate with few strikeouts to show for it. Against any other lineup, he might have been in for a long night. Against the Orioles, he allowed just two hits and two walks over five innings. Baltimore managed to put some hard contact on the ball, but the baseball gods were not on their side.
The best chance to break through came in the fifth inning. After Coby Mayo was hit by a pitch, Gunnar Henderson crushed a ball to right field at 111.9 mph off the bat—a shot that would have cleared the fence in 19 major league ballparks. But in Nationals Park, it smacked off the wall and bounced directly to the right fielder. Mayo couldn't score, and both runners were left stranded when Taylor Ward grounded out.
It was that kind of night for the Orioles. In the first inning, Adley Rutschman was robbed of extra bases by a sparkling catch from Nationals center fielder Jacob Young. In the second, Pete Alonso sent a deep fly that looked destined for the seats but stayed in the park. Tyler O'Neill had two more loud outs, each carrying the promise of a home run before dying at the warning track. On a warm, humid summer night in the Mid-Atlantic, maybe one or two of those balls finds the bleachers. But on a cool evening in D.C., they were just outs.
Littell exited after five innings, replaced by a Nationals bullpen that would close the door. The Orioles made some noise in the ninth, pulling within a run, but it wasn't enough to complete the comeback. A promising start to the road trip turned into another missed opportunity—and a reminder that in baseball, momentum can be as fleeting as a fly ball on a cold night.