Battle of the Beltway
DC's Washington Nationals beat local rival Baltimore Orioles two games to one. It was the first "Battle of the Beltway" series since the Senators played the Orioles in 1971. Talk about big-time matchups. "Right now, this series, it's for bragging rights," Nationals Manager Frank Robinson said. The last time a Washington-based team won a season series against Baltimore was back in 1965, when the Senators took 10 out of 18 games. The Nats gained some respect and Alfonso Soriano became the fans favorite. "Everybody on the team likes him. He is a very versatile player. He gets on base, he steals bases, he can do whatever you want. I think he's very important for the future of our franchise," Ryan Zimmerman said. "He really cares about playing the game everyday."
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These lucky fans of both the Washington Nationals and the Baltimore Orioles helped start the 'Battle of the Beltway'.
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Washington's RFK Stadium is about 35 miles from Oriole Park at Camden Yards making the trip for the visiting fans very easy. However, the crowd was announced at 30,320, more than 16,000 shy of capacity.
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The players head to the dugout for the start of the game.
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Baltimore Orioles Manager Sam Perlozzo and the Washington Nationals hitting coach meet with the umpires before the start of the game.
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This game marked the first regular-season major league meeting between the cities since 1971.
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Baltimore Orioles catcher Ramon Hernandez gets some final advice from his teammates.
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Signing of the National anthem.
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George Washington University's own Mike O'Connor got the start for the home team.
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O'Connor started the game off well but allowed two runs in the sixth earning him his second loss of the year.
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Washington Nationals SS Royce Clayton catches a fly ball. The Nationals played great defense for the first few innings.
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Washington Nationals pitcher Mike O'Connor delivers a fastball.
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Baltimore orioles All-Star SS Miquel Tejada takes a big swing.
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Baltimore Orioles RF Jay Gibbons swings and misses. He had one hit but stranded six baserunners.
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Alfonso Soriano and the team return to the dugout.
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These young Washington Nationals fans were all smiles throughout the game. It was their first game at RFK together.
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