Orioles drop series opener to Nats, 3-2

Q: What was the final score of the Orioles vs Nationals game on May 15, 2026?

The final score was 3-2 in favor of the Nationals.

Q: Who was the starting pitcher for the Nationals against the Orioles?

Zack Littell was the starting pitcher for the Nationals.

Q: How did Adley Rutschman perform in the game against the Nationals?

Adley Rutschman went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in the game.

Q: What are the upcoming match details for the Orioles and Nationals?

The Orioles and Nationals will meet again tomorrow at 4:05 PM, with Chris Bassitt starting for the Orioles and Cade Cavalli for the Nationals.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 15: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles watches the game in the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on May 15, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images If there is one thing this Orioles team has been good at this year, it’s failing to maintain any momentum. They are coming off a feel-good series win against the Yankees and could have kept the good vibes going with a solid game tonight against a pitcher who has had no success this year. But they did not. They opened up their road trip with a dismal loss to the Nationals. They made some noise in the ninth to make the score 3-2, but in the end it was another loss. Nats pitcher Zack Littell has been the worst starting pitcher in baseball this year. He came into the game with an ERA of 6.94 and a FIP of 8.25. He has given up a ton of homers. He doesn’t strike a lot of guys out. His season has been a disaster. Enter the Orioles, who managed just two hits and two walks against this pitcher. They did hit him hard at times and had some bad luck, but they just couldn’t get the job done against a pitcher who has struggled again and again this year. Both walks came in the second inning, sandwiched around three outs. They looked like they might score in the fifth inning when Coby Mayo was hit by a pitch. With two outs, absolutely scorched a ball to right field. It got off his bat at 111.9 mph, a ball that would have been a home run in 19 parks. As part of the bad luck by the Orioles tonight, it hit off the wall and bounced directly to the right fielder. Mayo was unable to score and both runners were stranded on a groundout. The only other hit Littell allowed was a single by Ward in the second inning. As for bad luck, in the first, Adley Rutschman was robbed of extra bases by center fielder . In the second, hit what looked like a homer off the bat, but it stayed in the park. had two flyouts that looked like they might go out. They did not. It wasn’t a warm night in DC, and at least a few of those may have been out of the park on a hot, humid day in the Mid-Atlantic. That doesn’t help the Orioles tonight, though. Littell exited the game after five innings and was relieved by Andrew Alvarez. The lefty was activated before tonight’s game. He made five starts for the Nationals last year and was pitching as a starter at Triple-A with a 5.29 ERA. So naturally, he dominated the Orioles for three innings. He allowed just two hits, both in the seventh inning. Mayo singled ahead of , who doubled. Like Henderson’s double, Jackson’s 110.0 mph hit was too hard to give Mayo time to score. Alvarez allowed just those two base runners in innings six, seven, and eight. He struck out five and looked in control. It did not extend to the ninth, where he allowed a Basallo single and O’Neill walk prompting his removal from the game. From there, the Orioles made it interesting but couldn’t come all the way back. Pinch-hitter took a walk from the new pitcher to load the bases with no outs. Mayo, who had been on base twice in the game, flailed at strike three out of the zone. But Jackson hit a sac fly and Henderson lined a single back up the middle to make the score 3-2. Ward walked, but Rutschman struck out to end the game. It was an off night for Adley, who went 0-for-5 with three Ks. Lost in the offensive futility was a solid start from . Like Littel, Baz got hit hard early on without much damage. He worked around a single in the first inning and got out of trouble again in the second after allowing two baserunners. His first run allowed came in the fourth on a sac fly after back-to-back singles. With the score just 1-0, it felt like the Orioles were still in the game. But then in the sixth inning, Baz walked before giving up a big home run to . It was Lile’s third hit of the game and the 3-0 lead felt insurmountable. Turns out it was. Baz ultimately finished seven innings with pretty good results despite a lot of traffic on the bases. His final pitching line: 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 K. Orioles lose, 3-2. These two teams meet again tomorrow at 4:05 with on the mound vs .