Nationals mash five home runs, sweep hapless Orioles

CJ Abrams hit the game's first pitch for the first of his two home runs and the visiting Washington Nationals went on to beat the staggering Baltimore Orioles 10-4 on Sunday afternoon.

Luis Garcia Jr., Dylan Crews and Josh Bell also homered for the Nationals, who've won three games in a row following a 1-8 stretch. They homered five times in a game for the first time since September 2023.

The second game under interim manager Tony Mansolino didn't go much better for the Orioles than Saturday's game. They trailed 7-0 after two innings in both games.

Baltimore, which fired manager Brandon Hyde on Saturday, completed a 0-6 homestand despite home runs from Cedric Mullins, Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday in consecutive innings. The Orioles have lost 12 of their last 14 games.

Abrams also doubled and scored in the ninth, while Crews, Jose Tena and James Wood notched two hits apiece for Washington.

Nationals starter Michael Soroka (1-2) took a shutout into the fifth inning. He worked 5 2/3 innings, charged with three runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and no walks.

Baltimore starter Zach Eflin (3-2), in his second game since coming off the injury list, was drilled for eight runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Mullins, Holliday and Ryan O'Hearn all produced two hits for the Orioles.

Garcia, Crews and Abrams homered in the Nationals' six-run second inning. Crews hammered a three-run shot.

Abrams, who recorded the second multi-homer game of his career, increased his home run total to eight this season. His homer to begin the game marked his fourth leadoff blast of the season and 11th of his career.

After the Orioles closed within 8-4, Bell homered with one out in the eighth.

The Nationals were efficient with their 13 hits as they stranded only three runners on base.