WASHINGTON (AP) – An attempted comeback forced Baltimore Orioles closer Zach Britton into a game that shouldn’t have required him. Not long after, his perfect run ended.
Britton’s remarkable streak of 43 consecutive games without allowing an earned run ended before he shut down a ninth-inning rally to help the Orioles hold off the Washington Nationals for a 10-8 victory Wednesday night.
Daniel Murphy’s grand slam off Parker Bridwell cut the Orioles’ lead from seven runs to three, and Britton allowed a single to Bryce Harper and an RBI double to Anthony Rendon.
It was the first earned run Britton has given up since April 30. His string of 43 games without one is the longest since the earned run became official, according to ESPN Stats and Info – that dates back more than 100 years.
But Britton got Ryan Zimmerman to ground into a game-ending double play as Baltimore won its third in a row against Washington.