Baltimore @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( May 30, 2013 ) Washington 0, Baltimore 2

The Baltimore Orioles will try to summon some energy before visiting Washington on Monday in the first of four straight interleague games between the regional rivals. After splitting a day-night doubleheader at Boston on Saturday, the Orioles survived a 12-inning affair that lasted over five hours Sunday, resulting in a 7-6 victory. Baltimore, which hosts Washington for two games after two in the nation's capital, has won six of seven overall and is 18-10 against the Nationals since 2009.

The Nationals are just as hot, having won seven of eight after a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Ryan Zimmerman had a go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning and Jordan Zimmermann kept alive an impressive stretch for the Washington staff with six scoreless innings. The Nationals, who lowered their major-league leading team ERA to 3.03 in the victory, have given up a total of 17 runs during the 7-1 stretch.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Baltimore), MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Chris Tillman (7-4, 4.21 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (7-6, 3.53)

Tillman has posted a 5.53 ERA on the road but is 6-0 away from home and tossed seven scoreless innings in a victory at the New York Yankees in his previous road outing. Since giving up five runs in one inning at Texas on June 5, he has posted a 2.14 ERA in five starts overall. The 26-year-old, who has never pitched in Washington, has a 6.52 ERA in two no-decisions against the Nationals.

Strasburg rebounded from his worst start of the year to toss 7 2/3 solid innings against Colorado on Tuesday, allowing one run and striking out eight. He has fanned at least eight batters in each of his last four starts at home, where he is 6-1 with a 2.35 ERA. Strasburg yielded one earned run in five innings in his only prior outing versus Baltimore in 2012.

WALK-OFFS

1. Washington has played 11 straight games without an error.

2. The Orioles averaged 11.3 hits in winning three of four from the Nationals last season.

3. Baltimore LF/DH Nelson Cruz went 8-for-11 with a home run and three RBIs in the final two games of the series in Boston.

PREDICTION: Nationals 5, Orioles 4