Orioles right-hander Jorge López was an out away from a perfect fifth inning against the top third of the Washington Nationals’ order. Then, history repeated itself.
As it has been throughout this season, the fifth inning remained López’s greatest weakness Friday night, with the Nationals striking for four straight two-out hits to propel them to a 4-2 victory in the series opener at their home park. López has pitched effectively into the fifth inning in eight of his nine starts but has recorded only 13 outs while allowing 13 earned runs in that frame, posting a 27.00 ERA.