WASHINGTON (AP) – The Washington Nationals are short-handed – and it shows.

With 10 players on the disabled list, the Nationals had a punchless offensive performance Friday night, falling 2-1 in 11 innings to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.

Nick Markakis’ homer into the second deck in right field sent the Nationals to their first two-game home losing streak this season.

Washington is missing three starting position players – outfielders Michael Morse and Jayson Werth, and catcher Wilson Ramos – and their absence was particularly glaring Friday.

“When you’re missing some key guys, it puts pressure on some other guys to be more aggressive and be more run-producing,” manager Davey Johnson said. “We need to have patience when we get in those situations.”

Washington had six singles, and a home run from Ian Desmond. The Nationals were 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position, and had two runners thrown out attempting to steal second by Baltimore catcher Matt Wieters.

“A lot of times, we got ourselves out being overly aggressive,” Johnson said.

An outstanding effort from starter Edwin Jackson was wasted. He came into the game with a 5-1 career mark against the Orioles. He threw eight innings, limiting Baltimore to five hits, striking out eight and walking one, but for the fifth straight time, he left without a decision.

“Offense comes and goes,” Jackson said. “More times than not, if we keep pitching the way we have, we’ll win.”

Markakis’ blast off Nationals reliever Ryan Mattheus (2-1) helped the Orioles improve to 6-2 in extra innings with all six victories coming on the road.

Mattheus threw him a slider, and it didn’t go where he wanted it.

“I would have liked it a little bit more elevated, but he put a good swing on it and hit it out of the park.”

The first-place Orioles have won four straight.

Four Orioles relievers followed starter Jake Arrieta, including Kevin Gregg (2-1) in the 10th inning. Pedro Strop allowed two runners to reach in the 11th inning before finishing off the Nationals for his third save.

Arrieta matched his career high with nine strikeouts. He allowed one run and six hits, walking one in seven innings.

Adam Jones drove home the Orioles first run with a first inning infield single against Jackson. Washington’s Ian Desmond tied the game with a solo home run in the sixth inning against Arrieta.

Arrieta entered the game having allowed 13 earned runs over his last two starts, including seven runs in 3 2-3 innings against Tampa Bay on Sunday. No signs of that pitcher existed in the series opener.

Wieters helped his pitcher by throwing out Bryce Harper and Jesus Flores attempting to steal second base.

The 19-year-old Harper was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Xavier Avery led off the Orioles first inning with a walk and one out later moved to third on Markakis’ double to left center. Jones sent a sharp grounder off Jackson’s left heel. The ball caromed behind the mound, allowing Avery to score from third.

Jackson escaped further damage by inducing Wieters into an inning-ending double play grounder. He then settled in, striking out the side in the second inning.

Held scoreless by Arrieta through five innings, the Nationals tied the game in the sixth on Desmond’s sixth home run of the season, landing deep in the left-field stands.

Notes: Jones extended his hitting streak to 10 games for third time this season. Morse (back) is expected to begin an extended spring training assignment on Monday at the Nationals camp in Viera, Fla., Johnson said. Morse has not played in a game this season. … The Nationals’ game against the Miami Marlins that was rained out on April 22 has been rescheduled as part of a doubleheader on Aug. 3.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nick Markakis homered into the second deck in right field to give the Baltimore Orioles a 2-1 win in 11 innings over the Washington Nationals on Friday night.

Markakis’ blast off Nationals reliever Ryan Mattheus (2-1) helped the Orioles improve to 6-2 in extra innings with all six victories coming on the road.

The first-place Orioles have won four consecutive games.

Four Orioles relievers followed starter Jake Arrieta, including Kevin Gregg (2-1) in the 10th inning. Pedro Strop allowed two runners to reach in the 11th inning before finishing off the Nationals for his third save.

Arrieta matched his career-high with nine strikeouts. He allowed one run and six hits, walking one in seven innings.

Edwin Jackson matched him, allowing one run in eight innings with eight strikeouts and one walk.

Adam Jones drove home the Orioles first run with a first inning infield single against Jackson. Washington’s Ian Desmond tied the game with a solo home run in the sixth inning against Arrieta.

Arrieta entered the game having allowed 13 earned runs over his last two starts, including seven runs in 3 2-3 innings against Tampa Bay on Sunday. No signs of that pitcher existed in the series opener.

Matt Wieters helped his pitcher by throwing out Bryce Harper and Jesus Flores attempting to steal second base.

The 19-year-old Harper was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Xavier Avery led off the Orioles first inning with a walk and one out later moved to third on Markakis’ double to left center. Jones sent a sharp grounder off Jackson’s left heel. The ball caromed behind the mound, allowing Avery to score from third.

Jackson escaped further damage by inducing Wieters into an inning-ending double play grounder. He then settled in, striking out the side in the second inning.

Held scoreless by Arrieta through five innings, the Nationals tied the game in the sixth on Desmond’s sixth home run of the season, landing deep in the left field stands.

NOTES: Jones extended his hitting streak to 10 games for third time this season. Nationals OF Michael Morse (back) is expected to begin an extended spring training assignment on Monday at the Nationals camp in Viera, Florida, manager Davey Johnson said. Morse has not played in a game this season. The Nationals game against the Miami Marlins that was rained out on April 22 has been rescheduled as part of a doubleheader on August 3.Saturday’s pitching matchup pits Orioles RHP Jason Hammel against Nationals LHP Ross Detwiler.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Nick Markakis homered into the second deck in right field to give the Baltimore Orioles a 2-1 win in 11 innings over the Washington Nationals on Friday night.

Markakis’ blast off Nationals reliever Ryan Mattheus (2-1) helped the Orioles improve to 6-2 in extra innings with all six victories coming on the road.

The first-place Orioles have won four straight.

Four Orioles relievers followed starter Jake Arrieta, including Kevin Gregg (2-1) in the 10th inning. Pedro Strop allowed two runners to reach in the 11th inning before finishing off the Nationals for his third save.

Arrieta matched his career-high with nine strikeouts. He allowed one run and six hits, walking one in seven innings.

Edwin Jackson matched him, allowing one run in eight innings with eight strikeouts and one walk.

Adam Jones drove home the Orioles first run with a first inning infield single against Jackson. Washington’s Ian Desmond tied the game with a solo home run in the sixth inning against Arrieta.

Arrieta entered the game having allowed 13 earned runs over his last two starts, including seven runs in 3 2-3 innings against Tampa Bay on Sunday. No signs of that pitcher existed in the series opener.

Matt Wieters helped his pitcher by throwing out Bryce Harper and Jesus Flores attempting to steal second base.

The 19-year-old Harper was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Xavier Avery led off the Orioles first inning with a walk and one out later moved to third on Markakis’ double to left centre. Jones sent a sharp grounder off Jackson’s left heel. The ball caromed behind the mound, allowing Avery to score from third.

Jackson escaped further damage by inducing Wieters into an inning-ending double play grounder. He then settled in, striking out the side in the second inning.

Held scoreless by Arrieta through five innings, the Nationals tied the game in the sixth on Desmond’s sixth home run of the season, landing deep in the left field stands.

NOTES: Jones extended his hitting streak to 10 games for third time this season. Nationals OF Michael Morse (back) is expected to begin an extended spring training assignment on Monday at the Nationals camp in Viera, Florida, manager Davey Johnson said. Morse has not played in a game this season. The Nationals game against the Miami Marlins that was rained out on April 22 has been rescheduled as part of a doubleheader on August 3.Saturday’s pitching matchup pits Orioles RHP Jason Hammel against Nationals LHP Ross Detwiler.

May 14, 2012 (CINCINNATI) —
Joey Votto gave the Washington Nationals one more heartache in a week already full of them.

Votto hit a grand slam in the ninth inning for his third home run of the game on Sunday, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to a rain-delayed 9-6 victory that knocked the Nationals out of first place in the NL East.

Washington headed home after a week that included two more players going on the disabled list with significant injuries and a 19-year-old rookie figuring in games in unusual ways.

Nothing was more unusual than how they let their chance to complete a sweep slip away.

“It was a tough night in the conditions and everything, but we gave them some cheap runs and you can’t do that,” manager Davey Johnson said.

They couldn’t contain Votto, either.

The 2010 NL MVP hit solo homers in his first two at-bats off Edwin Jackson, then flied out to the warning track and doubled. Given one more chance by struggling closer Henry Rodriguez, he thrilled a crowd that sat through a long delay and then more rain.

Washington came into the game with only 15 homers allowed all season, fewest in the majors. Votto hadn’t hit a homer since April 30.

He got the chance for last-swing drama when Rodriguez (1-3) got into the game and couldn’t get comfortable on the wet mound. Rodriguez walked two batters with two outs to load the bases, including Chris Heisey after getting ahead in the count 0-2.

Johnson came out to visit Rodriguez, who repeatedly scraped at the wet mound with his cleats.

“Rodriguez didn’t have command and he was kicking at the mound,” Johnson said. “Rodriguez has done such a great job. You just can’t walk guys like that. You don’t want Votto up there ever. He walked the guys he should have gotten out.”

Rodriguez left a 2-2 pitch up and over the plate for Votto, who hit it over the wall in center. He finished with a career-high six RBIs and the second three-homer game of his career.

The Reds said it was the first time in major league history that a player hit a game-ending grand slam for his third home run, according to research by the Elias Sports Bureau.

It was Votto’s best day since he signed a new deal before opening day that added 10 years and $225 million.

“He did today what he’s been known to do,” Jackson said. “That’s what he got paid a lot of money to do.”

The last player to hit a game-ending home run in a three-homer game was Albert Pujols for St. Louis against Cincinnati on April 16, 2006, according to STATS LLC.

Giancarlo Stanton also hit a game-ending slam Sunday for Miami against the New York Mets, making it the first time in 14 years that there were two walk-off slams on one day, STATS said. Mo Vaughn connected for Boston and Steve Finley for San Diego on April 10, 1998.

A few thousand fans were left to cheer Cincinnati’s first game-ending grand slam since Adam Dunn connected off Cleveland’s Bob Wickman on June 30, 2006.

Sean Marshall (1-2) got the win at the end of the long day. The start was delayed 3 hours, 36 minutes by rain, which continued to fall throughout the 3-hour, 45-minute game.

Ahead 6-3, the Nationals couldn’t close out what would have been their first three-game sweep of the season. The Reds got two runs in the eighth when rookie right fielder Bryce Harper lost Jay Bruce’s two-out fly ball in the twilight sky, letting it fall way behind him for a double.

“Once the ball got above the stands, I lost it,” Harper said. “It was hazy. I had no clue. I didn’t think he hit it that deep.”

Then, their closer let it slip away, concluding a painful one-week trip.

Right fielder Jayson Werth had surgery on his broken left wrist Monday, and Harper needed 10 stitches for a self-inflicted gash above his left eye on Friday after he hurt himself slamming a bat against a wall near the dugout. Catcher Wilson Ramos tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while chasing a passed ball Saturday night.

Despite sending 11 players to the disabled list already this season, the Nationals had managed to stay atop the NL East because of their pitching staff, which leads the majors. For one of the few times, it let them down, and Washington dropped into second place behind Atlanta.

NOTES: The Nationals headed out for a seven-game homestand, including two games each against San Diego and Pittsburgh and three against Baltimore. The Reds left for an unusual seven-game trip: Atlanta for two games, then on to New York for two against the Mets and three against the Yankees. … The Nationals called up C Sandy Leon from Double-A Harrisburg. … Harper wore a bandage over his left eye for the second straight game and had a pair of singles, ending his 0-for-9 slump in Cincinnati. … Reds 3B Mike Costanzo, called up to replace injured Scott Rolen, made his big league debut as a pinch-hitter in the fifth and hit a sacrifice fly on the first pitch.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)