Gunnar Henderson hits 10th HR for 1st of 4 hits in Orioles' 7-3 win over Nationals

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Baltimore Orioles' Gunnar Henderson, right, celebrates after his home run with Tyler O'Neill, left, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Baltimore Orioles' Gunnar Henderson, right, celebrates his home run with Pete Alonso (25) during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) — Baltimore Orioles' Gunnar Henderson, right, celebrates after his home run with Tyler O'Neill, left, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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5:23 PM on Sunday, May 17

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Gunnar Henderson hit his 10th homer and was 4 for 5 with two RBIs to help the Baltimore Orioles avoid a series sweep with a 7-3 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday.

Henderson homered into the third deck in right field off opener Richard Lovelady (2-2) for a 1-0 lead two batters into the game. The 24-year-old shortstop hit his ninth double to drive in an insurance run in the ninth, capping his fifth career four-hit game.

Coby Mayo greeted Miles Mikolas with his fifth homer — a two-run shot in the second for a 3-0 lead, and Pete Alonso's sacrifice fly made it 4-1 in the third.

Colton Cowser homered for the first time in 111 plate appearances dating to Sept. 23 against the Rays — a two-run shot in the fourth for a 6-1 advantage. It was the first hit for Cowser off a breaking ball this season.

Anthony Nunez (2-0) relieved Orioles starter Brandon Young with two outs and the bases loaded in the fourth inning. He struck out Luis García Jr. to keep it 6-2, then struck out two more in the fifth to get the win. Young allowed two runs on five hits, walking three in 3 2/3 innings.

Yennier Cano pitched a scoreless eighth before Rico Garcia closed it out in the ninth and surrendered his second hit in 20 innings — a one-out double by García.

Jacob Young hit his career-high fifth homer for the Nationals to cut it to 3-1 in the second. He started the season with five homers in 303 games.

Keibert Ruiz added a sac fly and CJ Abrams singled in a run off Tyler Wells in his two innings of work.

Baltimore had not scored a run before the seventh inning in the first two losses. It was the first time the Orioles scored in four straight innings to begin a game this season.

Up next

Orioles LHP Trevor Rogers (2-4, 5.77) was set to start Monday night at Tampa Bay opposite LHP Shane McClanahan (4-2, 2.27). The Nationals haven't announced a starting pitcher Monday night at home against the Nerw York Mets and RHP Christian Scott (0-0, 3.45).

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