Washington, D.C. — The Baltimore Orioles defeated the Washington Nationals 2-1 in a tightly contested game on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at Nationals Park, snapping a three-game losing streak. Cade Povich outpitched MacKenzie Gore, and Félix Bautista secured his third save, helping the Orioles improve to 10-14 and avoid a sweep in the three-game Beltway Series.
Povich, earning his first win of the season (1-2, 5.04 ERA), pitched 6.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out five. Ryan O’Hearn and Cedric Mullins drove in the Orioles’ runs in the fifth inning, with Mullins also stealing his fifth base. Bautista closed the game, allowing a single but striking out James Wood to strand the tying run at third.
The Nationals, falling to 11-14, scored their lone run in the second inning when Josh Bell’s single drove in Amed Rosario, who had doubled. Gore (2-3, 3.34 ERA) pitched six innings, giving up two runs on four hits with eight strikeouts but took the loss. Despite a late rally, with Nasim Nuñez stealing second as a pinch-runner in the ninth, the Nationals left runners in scoring position, going 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
The Orioles’ offense struggled early, managing only four hits, but capitalized in the fifth. Ramón Laureano doubled, and O’Hearn’s single tied the game at 1-1. Mullins followed with an RBI single, scoring O’Hearn, and stole second, though the inning ended without further damage. Baltimore’s bullpen, featuring Yennier Cano, Gregory Soto, and Bautista, held the lead, allowing no runs over 2.1 innings.
Washington’s defense was solid, with no errors, but their offense couldn’t convert opportunities. Keibert Ruiz singled in the ninth, and Nuñez’s steal put the tying run in scoring position, but Nathaniel Lowe and Rosario grounded out against Bautista. The Nationals’ five hits included Rosario’s double and singles from Bell, Alex Call, Ruiz, and Luis García Jr.
The game, attended by 23,058 fans under clear 75-degree weather, lasted 2 hours and 22 minutes. Umpires included Dan Iassogna (home plate), Chris Segal (first base), John Bacon (second base), and CB Bucknor (third base). The Orioles, fifth in the AL East, and the Nationals, fourth in the NL East, showcased their rivalry in the Beltway Series, which expanded to six games in 2025 due to MLB’s scheduling changes.
Povich’s pickoff of Call at first in the third and Mullins’ stolen base highlighted Baltimore’s sharpness, though a fielding error by Gunnar Henderson in the seventh extended an inning. The Nationals’ lone wild pitch by Povich advanced Wood, but their offense stalled. This victory marked a rebound for Baltimore after losses on April 22 (7-0) and April 23 (4-3), as noted in recent reports.
The Orioles’ pitching staff, despite a season ERA among the league’s worst, delivered when it mattered, with Povich’s outing lowering his ERA. The Nationals, led by Gore’s 45 strikeouts entering the game, leaned on their ace but couldn’t overcome Baltimore’s timely hitting and bullpen strength.
