Orioles drop AL East magic number to 1 as Adley Rutschman, Grayson Rodriguez lead 5-1 win over Nationals

BALTIMORE — For much of the Orioles’ rebuild, standing at the light at the end of the tunnel were Adley Rutschman and Grayson Rodriguez.

The two former top prospects — the former a generational catcher, the latter a fireballer — headlined a farm system that was expected to end the dark days of 100-loss seasons and lead the next great Orioles team.

They’ve helped do just that, and Wednesday night’s 5-1 win over the Washington Nationals at Camden Yards was the latest example.

Rutschman hit a two-run homer in the third and Rodriguez pitched 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball to lead the Orioles to their fourth straight win, lowering the club’s magic number to win the American League East title to one.

The victory is Baltimore’s 99th this season, the most for the franchise since 1980. The Orioles (99-59) are 40 games over .500 for the first time since 1979 when they went 102-60.

A win Thursday against the Boston Red Sox will deliver the Orioles their first AL East title since 2014 and just the franchise’s third in the past 40 seasons. It was possible Wednesday had Tampa Bay lost to the Boston Red Sox, but the Rays won, 5-0. The Orioles already clinched their first postseason berth since 2016 and are one victory away from claiming the AL’s top seed and turning their focus to the AL Division Series next week.

Manager Brandon Hyde has been reticent to discuss the postseason, but he believes his young team is prepared for the big games that lie ahead.

“We’ve been playing playoff-type games, honestly, for a while now,” Hyde said before the game. “Really happy with how our guys have handled it. They’ve handled playing close games well the last couple years. I think we’re used to it.”

Rutschman had the weight of a rebuilding organization on his shoulders since the moment Baltimore selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft. He arrived last May, and the Orioles have since been one of the sport’s best teams with a 166-114 record. Their two-game sweep of the Nationals extended the club’s AL-record streak without being swept to 90 series, the most of any MLB team since World War II.

The 25-year-old Rutschman clobbered a high fastball from Nationals starter Patrick Corbin 395 feet into the Orioles’ bullpen for a 2-0 lead. He added a third RBI in the fifth with a single to score Jorge Mateo, who stole his 30th base of the season with a swipe of third. Jordan Westburg walked in a run later in the fifth, and Austin Hays, who went 2-for-3 with a walk, drove in the game’s final run with a single in the sixth.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, was the same pitcher he’s been since he rejoined the rotation after the All-Star break. He scattered six hits and didn’t issue a walk while striking out five. The only run he allowed — the only run Washington (69-90) scored in four games against Baltimore this season — was an RBI single to Jake Alu in the fifth.

The 23-year-old Rodriguez struggled with a 7.35 ERA in his first 10 starts of his rookie campaign, but after a demotion to Triple-A Norfolk during which he regained his command and confidence in his fastball, he’s been one of the best pitchers in the major leagues.

In 76 2/3 innings across 13 starts, Rodriguez (7-4) has a 2.58 ERA that ranks third in the AL behind teammate Kyle Bradish and New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole . In his past six starts, the right-hander has a 1.80 ERA.

Coulombe replaced Rodriguez with runners on the corners and two outs in the sixth, escaping the jam by getting Carter Kieboom to pop out. Coulombe, Jacob Webb and Tyler Wells combined for a stellar performance from the bullpen, retiring all 10 batters they faced to secure the victory.

The win was Baltimore’s seventh straight against the Nationals, dating to last season, for the Orioles’ longest winning streak against their Beltway Series rival since Washington gained a team in 2005.

The Orioles’ next win will be their 100th of the season — a meaningful number in more ways than one for the post-rebuild Orioles. The century mark isn’t just one few teams hit, as the Orioles would do so for the first time since 1980. But not too long ago, this team experienced that number on the opposite end with 100-loss seasons in 2018, 2019 and 2021 as the worst team in the major leagues.

“It’s great to show up knowing exactly what we’re playing for every single day,” Hays said before the game. “We’re playing to win. These games are meaningful. There’s stuff on the line, for not just us, but the fans, the city, everything that comes with it to see just how amazing this season has been for us.”