Cowser, Westburg power O’s
Back-to-back homers, Irvin propel Baltimore
Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg hit back-to-back homers for Baltimore, and Cole Irvin shut down the host Kansas City Royals in a 5-0 victory Sunday for the Orioles.
Cowser and Westburg went deep off starter Seth Lugo, who had not allowed a home run since last September. Irvin gave up just four hits and two walks while pitching into the seventh inning. That earned Irvin (1-1) his first win since June 10, 2022, when he also beat the Royals. Lugo allowed four runs, nine hits and a walk in 5 innings. He had won his three previous starts.
“Just a quality team game,” Irvin said. “Felt like we did all the little things right today.”
Lugo (3-1) had pushed his streak of not allowing a homer to 41 innings before Cowser sent an 0-1 pitch soaring into the right-field fountains leading off the third. Westburg followed two pitches later with his drive into the left-field seats.
Cowser’s splash came one day after he mistakenly threw the souvenir ball from Craig Kimbrel’s 422nd save into the fountains while celebrating the Orioles’ 9-7 win. The save tied Kimbrel for seventh on the career list, so Cowser ran back to the field after the game and managed to fish the ball out of the water with the help of some stadium staff.
“We prefer he hit one into the fountains,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said, “than throw one in the fountains.”
Nationals 6, Astros 0: Lefthander Mitchell Parker threw seven shutout innings, and Luis Garcia Jr. had three singles and two RBIs for Washington in a home victory. The Nationals have won three of their past four series after starting the season 2-6.
After allowing two runs over five innings last Monday in his major league debut, a 6-4 win in Los Angeles over the Dodgers, Parker (2-0) was even more effective in his second major league start, allowing three hits, striking out eight and walking none, throwing 57 of his 73 pitches for strikes.
“He has so much poise,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said.
Late Saturday
Orioles 9, Royals 7: Craig Kimbrel tied Billy Wagner for seventh on the career list with his 422nd save, Anthony Santander had the first three-double game of his major league career, and Baltimore rode a seven-run second inning to a victory.
Salvador Perez tied his career high with five RBIs for the Royals, who tried to overcome a 7-0 deficit, and hit a game-ending flyout to Colton Cowser in front of the left-field warning track.
Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save in six chances this year as the Orioles evened the three-game series. He is two saves behind John Franco on the career list and three behind Kenley Jansen.
Winner Corbin Burnes (3-0) pitched shutout ball until allowing Perez’s three-run homer in the sixth.
Nationals 5, Astros 4, 10 innings:
Washington’s Joey Meneses hit an RBI single in the 10th inning after Ryan Pressly blew the save in the ninth for Houston.
Meneses led off the 10th against Seth Martinez (1-2) and lined his first pitch to the wall in right-center, scoring Nasim Nuñez from second base with the winning run. Washington had tied it with two runs in the ninth against Houston, which has lost 11 of its last 12 extra-inning games.
Kyle Finnegan (1-2) pitched a scoreless 10th for the win.