Game 45: Orioles at Nats
The Battle of the Beltways gets underway tonight, with Zack Littell starting and Andrew Alvarez called up from Triple-A to back him up
It’s a beautiful day in the nation’s capital, and thus a beautiful day for the start of the always entertaining Battle of the Beltways series. There’s a new twist to this not-always-a-rivalry: The two new managers are best friends. Blake Butera and Craig Albernaz have been close for years, and they remain close even now as they compete against each other. This should be a particularly meaningful weekend for both guys.
As for tonight’s game, the Nationals are likely to be cobbling together the pitching staff as they’ve done several times already this season. Zack Littell is the starter, and they’re going to let him start, so no opener this time. They do, however, have somebody ready to replace him at the first sign of trouble: Andrew Alvarez. The club officially recalled the left-hander from Triple-A Rochester (they demoted Zak Kent after Thursday’s loss in Cincinnati) and he’ll be available to pitch in bulk behind Littell tonight.
Shane Baz, one of the Orioles’ big offseason additions, gets the ball for the series opener, and he’s had a rough go of it so far in 2026. The right-hander is 1-4 with a 5.48 ERA, allowing more than 10 hits per nine innings while striking out fewer than eight. He has never faced the Nationals in his career.
Reminder that tonight’s game is being simulcast on FOX 5. If you’d rather stream it, it’s also available for free on Nationals.TV. Or you technically could watch it on MASN, if you’re either interested in the Orioles’ perspective or just want to re-live the good old days.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: Nationals TV/FOX 5 (channel listings)
Radio: 106.7 FM
Weather: Partly cloudy, 70 degrees, wind 8 mph left to right
ORIOLES
SS Gunnar Henderson
LF Taylor Ward
C Adley Rutschman
1B Pete Alonso
DH Samuel Basallo
RF Tyler O’Neill
CF Colton Cowser
3B Coby Mayo
2B Jeremiah Jackson
RHP Shane Baz
NATIONALS
RF James Wood
DH Luis García Jr.
1B Curtis Mead
SS CJ Abrams
LF Daylen Lile
3B Brady House
2B Jorbit Vivas
C Drew Millas
CF Jacob Young
RHP Zack Littell
BEETER, HENRY REHABBING IN ROCHESTER;
HERZ THROWING TO LIVE HITTERS
Clayton Beeter and Cole Henry will both pitch for Triple-A Rochester this weekend as part of a rehab assignment, a good sign both relievers are nearing a return from the 15-day IL.
Beeter (right forearm soreness) and Henry (right rotator cuff strain) pitched earlier this week in rookie level Florida Complex League games. They’re now ready to face Triple-A hitters in a real game situation, which should be the final step before each is activated off the IL.
DJ Herz, meanwhile, was scheduled to face live hitters today in West Palm Beach the first time the left-hander has done that since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. Once Herz has throw live BP several times, he should be cleared to begin pitching in games. He’ll be allowed 30 days on a full minor-league rehab assignment before he needs to be activated, though the Nationals also could decide at the end of that to simply option him to Rochester to let him continue building up his arm before returning to the majors.
Daylen Lile is on some kind of run. 3-for-3 with a single, double and homer tonight. 10 for his last 20 with 6 extra-base hits. Wouldn't it be something if he finally recorded his first triple of the season (after tying the club record last year with 11) to complete the cycle?
Littell is throwing way more four-seamers tonight than usual this season, and his velocity is up from 91 to 92 mph. But he's also seen the Orioles drive four balls to the warning track, all of them caught. Feels like he's kind of living dangerously.