Washington Nationals news & notes: Josiah Gray finishes strong in Nationals' 1-0 loss to Orioles...

With six innings of work on the mound in Oriole Park at Camden Yards, in which he gave up just one run on five hits, walking two and striking out seven, Josiah Gray lowered his ERA to 3.91 on the year, down from his 5.02 ERA in 28 starts and 148 2⁄3 in his first full year pitching in the majors last season. Gray, 25, gave up a solo home run, by Gunnar Henderson, on his seventh pitch of the game, a 2-2 slider, low and in, the Baltimore Orioles' 22-year-old, 2019 2nd Round pick hit 400 ft. to right field for his 28th home run of 2023, and the 22nd home run off of Gray in 30 starts and 159 IP this season (for 1.25 HR/9 this year, down from 2.30 HR/9 in '22). Washington's starter held it there, however, working around a pair of two-out singles in the second, a two-out hit in the third, and a leadoff walk and single in the fifth, with Henderson striking out and Aldey Rutschman, the O's 25-year-old, 2019 1st Round pick, grounding into an inning-ending 5-6-3 DP to end the home-half of that inning.