Baltimore @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 21, 2015 ) Baltimore 0, Washington 0

The Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles shared several similarities on their way to division titles in 2014 and appear to be mimicking each other again this season, albeit with much less on the line. The Nationals and Orioles look to keep their faint playoff hopes alive Tuesday when they renew their Beltway Series rivalry with the first of three games in the nation’s capital.

Washington and Baltimore each won 96 games last season, running away with the National League East and American League East, respectively, before watching their seasons end in the divisional round against their league’s pennant winner. The Nationals (78-71) won for the seventh time in eight games following Sunday’s 13-3 rout of Miami, but reside 6 1/2 games behind the New York Mets with 13 left to play. The Orioles (73-76) completed the first leg of their 10-game road trip by splitting a four-game series with Tampa Bay following a 7-6 setback Sunday, but they are six games behind Houston for the second wild-card spot in the AL. The scheduled first contest of the Beltway Series was postponed due to rain Monday and will be made up at 4:05 p.m. Thursday.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (11-9, 4.31 ERA) vs. Nationals LH Gio Gonzalez (11-7, 3.83)

Jimenez continued to struggle with his control in Tuesday’s victory versus Boston, surrendering four runs on six hits and three walks in five frames in a no-decision. The 31-year-old Dominican has issued 12 free passes over his last four turns after walking a total of 15 batters over his previous eight outings. Jimenez hasn’t faced Washington since 2011 but has dominated the Nationals in seven career starts, going 5-1 with a 2.61 ERA.

Gonzalez has rebounded from a late-August swoon, going 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA in three September outings after yielding two runs and matching a career high with 12 strikeouts in seven frames en route to a 12-2 win at Philadelphia on Wednesday. The 30-year-old Floridian has posted 26 strikeouts during his hot streak while also holding opposing hitters to a .172 batting average. Gonzalez settled for a no-decision July 10 at Baltimore, allowing one run on six hits over six innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Washington 3B Yunel Escobar has hit safely in 19 of his last 21 games and is batting .422 with 13 RBIs with 16 runs scored over that stretch.

2. Baltimore 1B Chris Davis’ two-run shot in Sunday’s loss was his major league-leading 43rd homer and allowed the Orioles to become the fourth team this season to hit at least 200.

3. Nationals RF Bryce Harper is hitting .435 with four doubles, 10 home runs, 18 RBIs, 17 walks and 24 runs scored in 19 September contests.

PREDICTION: Nationals 6, Orioles 3