05/16/26 06:34:00
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05/16 18:33 CDT Cavalli tosses 6 scoreless, Ruiz drives in 5 as Nationals reach
.500 with 13-3 win over Orioles
Cavalli tosses 6 scoreless, Ruiz drives in 5 as Nationals reach .500 with 13-3
win over Orioles
By SAVANNAH McCANN
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) --- Cade Cavalli tossed six scoreless innings, Keibert Ruiz
homered and drove in a career-high five runs and the Washington Nationals
reached the .500 mark for the first time in two years with a 13-3 victory over
the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.
Jacob Young and Brady House also homered for the Nationals, who were 0-15 in
games in which they were a win away from a .500 record after being 20-20 on May
14, 2024. They won the first game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White
Sox that day, but lost the nightcap --- and have been trying to reach .500
again since.
Cavalli (2-2) carried a shutout into the seventh inning before allowing
back-to-back solo home runs to Samuel Bassallo and Tyler O'Neill. It was the
second time in his 21 career starts, and first this season, that the
right-hander pitched into the seventh. Cavalli allowed three runs, eight hits
and struck out eight.
Ruiz, who was a triple shy of the cycle, hit a three-run homer off Chris
Bassitt (3-3) to give the Nationals a 3-0 lead in the second. It was the
Nationals catcher's third home run in his last five games.
Clinging to a 4-3 lead entering the seventh, the Nationals broke it open with
seven runs. House hit an RBI double and scored on a fielder's choice. Ruiz
added to his big day at the plate with a two-run double. Young hit a three-run
homer to make it 11-3.
House added a two-run homer in the eighth to cap the big day for Washington's
offense.
Bassitt allowed four runs and six hits in five innings for Baltimore.
Up next
Orioles RHP Brandon Young (3-1, 4.15 ERA) and Nationals RHP Miles Mikolas (1-3,
7.00 ERA) start on Sunday for the finale of the Beltway Series.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
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