Gunnar Henderson's Heroics Lead the Orioles Past the Nationals! 
What a game, Orioles fans! Our beloved Birds took down the Nationals with a final score of 4-1. Let's dive into the action-packed moments that led us to victory. First-Inning Fireworks! 
The game started off with a bang for the Orioles. After a quiet top half from the Nats, Austin Slater ignited our offense with a perfect bunt single. Adley Rutschman flew out, but then Gunnar Henderson came in clutch, blasting a 419-foot homer to right field, scoring Slater and giving the O's a 2-0 lead. 
Nationals Strike Back
The Nationals got on the board in the second inning. Luis García Jr. singled and later scored on a double by Alex Call, cutting our lead to 2-1. Thankfully, our defense held strong, preventing any further damage.Tight Defense and Missed Opportunities
Both teams kept each other in check through the middle innings. We saw Jackson Holliday and Colton Cowser struggle a bit at the plate, and the Nationals couldn’t capitalize with runners in scoring position. Kudos to our pitching staff for keeping it together!
Seventh-Inning Surge 
It was the seventh inning where we pulled away. Jiménez grounded out, but Cowser drew a walk, and Mayo followed suit with another walk. Holliday then singled to center, scoring Cowser. Ryan O'Hearn entered as a pinch hitter for Slater and managed an infield single, loading the bases. Cedric Mullins came in as a pinch runner, and Rutschman hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Mayo. This gave us a solid 4-1 lead. Locking It Down 
The bullpen was superb! Cano and Pérez shut the Nationals down in the seventh and eighth. In the top of the ninth, Domínguez came in to close it out. After giving up a walk to Chaparro, he forced a double play to seal the win. Final Thoughts
We saw a fantastic team effort tonight, Orioles fans! Gunnar Henderson's early homer and Jackson Holliday's clutch hit in the seventh were pivotal moments. The pitching was absolutely spot-on, holding the Nationals to just one run. Let’s keep this momentum going! Go O's!
Scoreboard for Nationals @ Orioles (August 14th, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 |