BALTIMORE — Doug Fister allowed two runs over seven innings and the Washington Nationals hit three solo homers in a 6-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night.
Wilson Ramos, Ian Desmond and Jayson Werth connected for the Nationals, who took control early and cruised to the finish in this interleague matchup between first-place clubs located 40 miles apart on I-295.
Each team has won once in the rain-shortened, home-and-home showdown that concludes Thursday night. Washington has won eight of 10 overall and Baltimore is 7-2 in its last nine games.
Manny Machado went 3 for 4 with a homer for the Orioles and Chris Davis had two hits and an RBI. Machado is 12 for 21 in four games since returning from a five-game suspension.
Fister (8-2) scattered seven hits, walked two and struck out three. He is 8-1 in his last 11 starts and 52-52 for his career, the first time the right-hander has been at .500 since 6-6 in 2010.
Orioles starter Bud Norris (7-6) gave up five runs and six hits in four-plus innings in his first appearance since June 21. He won four straight starts before going on the disabled list with a right groin strain.
PHOTOS: Nationals hit 3 HRs in 6-2 win over Orioles
It was his shortest outing of the year, and the five runs and two home runs he allowed matched season highs.
Washington jumped on Norris for two first-inning runs. After Anthony Rendon and Werth hit successive doubles, Adam LaRoche delivered an RBI single.
Davis singled in a run in the bottom half, and Ramos made it 3-1 in the second with a shot to left.
Desmond hit his 16th home run in the fourth, a drive that landed in the front row of the bleachers in center field. Machado got the run back in the home half with his ninth home run, the fifth in eight games.
LaRoche added a sacrifice fly in the fifth and Werth homered off Brad Brach in the seventh.
The Nationals played their 13th consecutive errorless game, matching their longest streak since coming to Washington from Montreal in 2005. Rendon made several sparkling plays at third base and started a 5-4-3 double play in the sixth after Baltimore put runners at the corners with one out and the score 5-2.
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NOTES: Wei-Yin Chen (0-2, 7.71 ERA vs the Nationals) faces Gio Gonzalez in the series finale Thursday night. … Ramos extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games. … Washington’s Danny Espinosa went 0 for 3 and is mired in an 0-for-22 skid. His teammate, Bryce Harper, went 0 for 4 and is 4 for 28 since coming off the DL following left thumb surgery. … Despite the loss, Baltimore leads the series 27-21.
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