|
BALTIMORE -- The Washington Nationals made themselves right at home at Camden Yards in an interleague duel between crosstown rivals and division leaders.Alexei Ramirez White Jersey . Doug Fister allowed two runs over seven innings and Washington hit three solo homers in a 6-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night. The Nationals usually win with pitching, and Fister was more than efficient. But on this night Washington beat the hard-hitting Orioles at their own game, using home runs by Wilson Ramos, Ian Desmond and Jayson Werth to win this matchup between teams located 40 miles apart on I-295. "This is a good ballpark to hit home runs in," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "All you need to do is look at the other dugout to see that." Fister (8-2) scattered seven hits, walked two and struck out three. He is 8-1 in his last 11 starts and 52-52 for his career, the first time the right-hander has been at .500 since 6-6 in 2010. "He was pretty good," said Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph, who hit into two double plays. "He sinks the ball so well and hes got that curveball, he didnt bust it out until the second or third time around. And hes got a good enough slider to hit one off the barrel." Fister has earned the right to be considered the ace of a staff that includes Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann. But, Williams said, "Everybody has pitched very well. To throw labels on guys isnt fair. They have all pitched very well; sometimes it just doesnt come out as a win." Each team has one win in the rain-shortened, home-and-home showdown that concludes Thursday night. Baltimore is 7-2 in its last nine games and Washington has won eight of 10 overall. "Were getting some momentum together and thats kind of where were at right now," Fister said. "Thats good going into the break." Manny Machado went 3 for 4 with a homer for the Orioles and Chris Davis had two hits and an RBI. Machado is 12 for 21 in four games since returning from a five-game suspension. "I feel fine at the plate, seeing the ball well," Machado said. "Im just trying to keep this going." Orioles starter Bud Norris (7-6) gave up five runs and six hits in four-plus innings in his first appearance since June 21. He won four straight starts before going on the disabled list with a right groin strain. "As much as you do side work and (simulated) games and stuff like that, theres no substitute for the adrenaline and the challenge of facing major league hitters," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. "Especially ones as good as Washington has. So it will get better. Weve seen what hes capable of." It was Norris shortest outing of the year, and the five runs and two home runs he allowed matched season highs. "I felt pretty good," he insisted. "Got a little achy there at the end, but Im happy with the results and its kind of out of my head now. Ill get a couple more bullpens in and just go from there and into the break and feel good going into the second half." Washington jumped on Norris for two first-inning runs. After Anthony Rendon and Werth hit successive doubles, Adam LaRoche delivered an RBI single. Davis singled in a run in the bottom half, and Ramos made it 3-1 in the second with a shot to left. Desmond hit his 16th home run in the fourth, a drive that landed in the front row of the bleachers in centre field. Machado got the run back in the home half with his ninth home run, the fifth in eight games. LaRoche added a sacrifice fly in the fifth and Werth homered off Brad Brach in the seventh. The Nationals played their 13th consecutive errorless game, matching their longest streak since coming to Washington from Montreal in 2005. Rendon made several sparkling plays at third base and started a 5-4-3 double play in the sixth after Baltimore put runners at the corners with one out and the score 5-2. "Their third baseman had a great night," Showalter said. "We could have got back in it a little bit but they didnt let us defensively." NOTES: Wei-Yin Chen (0-2, 7.71 ERA vs the Nationals) faces Gonzalez in the series finale Thursday night. ... Ramos extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games. ... Washingtons Danny Espinosa went 0 for 3 and is mired in an 0-for-22 skid. His teammate, Bryce Harper, went 0 for 4 and is 4 for 28 since coming off the DL following left thumb surgery. Ozzie Guillen White Jersey . An excellent start from Drew Hutchison and the return of Jose Bautista helped provide a little breathing room in the divisional race while ending a three-game losing skid at the same time. Luis Aparicio Authentic . - Former NFL safety Darren Sharper pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he drugged and raped two women he met at a West Hollywood night club, while the emergence of a new accuser in Florida left him under investigation in five states.ALAMEDA, Calif. - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. The veteran backup is certainly qualified to speak on the topic, having received a crash course on it over the past 15 months. Jennings will make his second start of the season Sunday against the New York Giants while Darren McFadden rests his sore hamstring. He also started six games for Jacksonville in 2012 while Maurice Jones-Drew was sidelined with a foot injury. The message Jennings delivered? Dont wait or its too late. "When I was in high school I kept a quote: When opportunity presents itself, its too late to prepare for it," Jennings said. "So every day be prepared to be that guy." Thats been the case for Jennings, who has been a jack-of-all-trades in his first season with the Raiders. Besides filling in for McFadden, hes blocked two punts and recovered an onside kick on special teams this season. Despite his part-time status, Jennings is also the only Oakland player to catch more than six passes in a game this season. He had eight against Washington on Sept. 29 after McFadden left that game injured, then grabbed another seven in last weeks 49-20 loss to Philadelphia. When McFadden got hurt last week against Philadelphia, Jennings responded with his first 100-yard game in nearly three years. "It just goes back to the mental preparation and trying to put yourself in the game," Jennings said. "You never know when youre going to get called, you really dont. I dont think thats coined as much as its really said and its kind of passed over. Alexei Ramirez Authentic. But you dont know, you never know. So make sure youre ready." Jennings game against the Eagles marked just the second time this season that an Oakland running back has topped the century mark. McFadden ran for 129 yards against Jacksonville in Week 2 but has been mostly ineffective and is averaging just 3.6 yards a carry. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who has a pair of 100-yard rushing games this season, has given the ground game a lift. He leads the team with 485 yards rushing and is the primary reason the Raiders have the fourth-ranked running offence. Jennings would be content with anything as long as Oakland wins. The Raiders (3-5) play four of their next five games on the road and are just 7-25 in November since 2005. McFadden didnt accompany the team on its trip to New York. Neither did right tackle Matt McCants, who has a foot injury. McCants injury means second-round pick Menelik Watson will make his first start in New York, one week after making his NFL debut. Hell also be the third different starting right tackle Oakland has used this season. "Obviously, hes gotten limited exposure but we have confidence in him," Raiders coach Dennis Allen said Friday. "Really, thats what your job is. When youre called upon to go in and do a job, you have to go in and do the job. Thats the way of the National Football League." Rookie nickelback D.J. Hayden will also be held out of the game. Oaklands first-round draft pick injured a groin muscle earlier this week and has been held out of practice each of the past two days. ___ AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
