The Washington Nationals beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 in 10 innings on Saturday night at Camden Yards, as Daylen Lile's go-ahead single off Ryan Helsley to start the extra frame proved decisive after the Orioles had clawed back from an early deficit.
Luis García Jr. had a four-hit day for Washington and Jorbit Vivas added an RBI single, while Brandon Young struck out eight for Baltimore in another strong start undercut by defense — the Orioles fell behind 1-0 in the second inning when Taylor Ward misplayed a Lile fly ball into a double, then committed a throwing error on the same play. Pete Alonso delivered a 111 mph RBI double in the eighth, and pinch-hitter Samuel Basallo's first-pitch single brought him home to tie the game and erase a 3-1 deficit before the bullpen let the lead slip away in the 10th.
Washington starter Foster Griffin tied a career high with nine strikeouts across seven innings, throwing 112 pitches — the most by a Nationals pitcher in four years — while allowing only an unearned run, set up by a Chadwick Tromp two-out RBI single in his first Orioles at-bat in nearly a year. Helsley took the loss after allowing the unearned run in the 10th, and Justin Lawrence escaped a bases-loaded jam in his Nationals debut for the save, getting Basallo to ground out to end it — with CJ Abrams cutting down a runner at the plate on a contact play moments earlier to keep it a one-run game.
The loss dropped Baltimore to 39-45 and to a third defeat in its last four games. The Orioles and Nationals close out the series Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards before Baltimore opens a series at home against the White Sox on Monday.