WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals welcome the Baltimore Orioles to town for a three-game series Tuesday and welcome reliever Kelvin Herrera to an already formidable bullpen.

The Nationals struck far in advance of the trade deadline Monday http://www.patriotsauthorizedshop.com/authentic-trent-brown-jersey , acquiring the Kansas City Royals’ closer for three minor leaguers. Herrera is 14-for-16 in save opportunities this year with a 1.05 ERA.

The 28-year-old right-hander joins a late-inning group that includes set-up men Ryan Madson, 38, Brandon Kintzler, 33, and closer Sean Doolittle, 31.

“For the front office to send a message to us this far ahead of the deadline, to try to get us some help in the bullpen, I think it’s one of those situations where in April and May, the bullpen as a whole had a really heavy workload,” Doolittle told the Washington Post. “You saw Madson and Kintzler land on the DL because of that. It’s almost their way of saying, ‘Here’s some help. Here’s some reinforcements.'”

Madson allowed two home runs in Sunday’s loss to Toronto and Kintzler is out with a right forearm flexor strain.

Doolittle picked up the save Monday against the Yankees in the completion of a suspended game and has succeeded in 19 of 20 chances, posting a 1.37 ERA.

“For me, we have an all-star closer right now,” manager Dave Martinez said. “So (Herrera) will be asked to do some different things.”

On Monday, the Nationals and Yankees finally completed their two-game series from May 15-16, splitting the two games.

Washington (38-32) won the suspended game, which resumed in the sixth-inning with score tied 3-3. Rookie Juan Soto, who had not yet made his major league debut when the game originally began in May, clubbed a two-run homer to give Washington a 5-3 win.

New York won the second game 4-2 behind Sonny Gray and scoreless one inning stints from four relievers as the Nationals went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

Baltimore (20-50) sends David Hess (2-3, 4.13) to the mound Tuesday against Jefry Rodriguez (0-0, 0.00).

The Orioles travel down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway on a rare high following Sunday’s 10-4 win over the Miami Marlins.

Baltimore had dropped nine games in a row and had lost 11 straight at home http://www.saintsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-tre_quan-smith-jersey , tying the club record.

The Orioles hadn’t scored more than five runs since a 9-3 win over the White Sox on May 24 in Chicago, a span of 20 games.

“It was difficult for everyone,” Sunday’s starting pitcher Dylan Bundy told the Baltimore Sun. “We know what we are capable of, and we’re not doing it right now. It was one of those days where we performed the way we should.”

The Orioles collected 14 hits, six for extra bases. Third baseman Jace Peterson matched his career high with four RBIs, including a two-run homer. Mark Trumbo hit a solo homer and had an RBI-double for Baltimore, which had scored four runs or fewer in 18 of its past 19 games.

“Usually when the team’s struggling as a whole, the pitchers get a little more comfortable on the other side, and they cruise through some of those innings,” Trumbo told the Sun. “It’s important to try and kind of peck away. I’d like to see a whole lot more games that look like this going forward. I think everybody would.”

Hess had been solid before allowing five runs in 3 1/3 innings in his last start, a loss to Boston. He faced the Nationals May 30 and took the loss despite allowing just one run on four hits over six innings.

With starters Stephen Strasburg and Jeremy Hellickson on the disabled list, Rodriguez, 24, will make his first major league start. He is 5-3 with a 3.31 ERA in 13 starts for Double-A Harrisburg.

Jose Altuve upped the pressure on Alex Bregman as he walked to home plate with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning.

”Altuve told me … that he’s not bringing his bat or batting gloves to the on-deck circle, so I better get the job done,” Bregman said. ”So I had to find a way.”

Bregman hit a game-ending two-run double and the Houston Astros beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 to match a franchise record with their 12th straight win.

Houston trailed 4-0 after three innings but cut the lead to one entering the ninth.

Sergio Romo (1-2) walked Marwin Gonzalez to start the ninth, then allowed a single to Max Stassi. Tony Kemp’s sacrifice bunt moved both runners up, and Houston loaded the bases when George Springer reached on interference by catcher Wilson Ramos.

Bregman then drove a ball that bounced off the wall in left-center. He lifted both arms as he trotted into second base, and teammates mobbed him in the infield.

It was Houston’s second game-ending hit of the season, and the other also came off Bregman’s bat April 7 against San Diego. Bregman also walked off Houston with a single in Game 5 of the World Series last season.

”You do it as often as Alex has done it, we know it’s going to be a good at-bat Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Jersey ,” manager A.J. Hinch said. ”Whether it ends in our favor or not is baseball, but he’s a guy we want up there.”

Romo declined to speak to reporters after the game, but manager Kevin Cash discussed his work.

”He’s the guy who’s been out there and got the experience,” Cash said. ”He’s done it here as of late. It lined up right; it just didn’t work.”

Collin McHugh (2-0) struck out two in a scoreless ninth for the win on a night Gerrit Cole walked a career-high five to help the Rays build the early lead.

Houston also won 12 straight in 2004 and 1999. The Astros will go for No. 13 on Tuesday with ace Justin Verlander on the mound.

”The only thing that matters to these guys is winning,” Bregman said.

Romo was the seventh pitcher the Rays used as they employed a reliever as a starter for the 16th time in 30 games.

Cole walked Jake Bauers with one out in the first before Ramos launched a fastball into the seats in right field to give Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead.

Matt Duffy drew a walk with one out in the third, stole second base and took third on an error by catcher Brian McCann. Cole, who hadn’t walked more than three in a game this season, walked Bauers and Ramos to load the bases. A two-out single by Joey Wendle came next to score two and push the lead to 4-0.

Altuve, who finished with three hits, singled with one out in the fourth, and Carlos Correa followed with a double. Houston got within 4-1 on a groundball single by Yuli Gurriel which scored Altuve. The Astros made it 4-2 when Correa scored on a sacrifice fly by Josh Reddick.

Altuve doubled and reached third on an error by Johnny Field to start Houston’s sixth. A one-out single by Gurriel scored Altuve to cut the lead to 4-3. Gonzalez singled with two outs, but Diego Castillo came in and retired pinch-hitter Evan Gattis to end the inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: OF Kevin Kiermaier will be activated from the disabled list Tuesday after sitting out since April 15 after tearing a ligament in his right thumb which required surgery. He wasn’t supposed to be reinstated until Friday, but was feeling good after a rehabilitation stint in the minors and wore Cash down with incessant text messages saying he was ready. ”I was sick of hearing from him so I called the general manager and said: `Please get him up here,”’ Cash joked. … RHP Chris Archer (abdominal strain) has been playing catch and is scheduled to throw a bullpen Friday. Cash said he’ll need to make some rehabilitation starts before returning to the team.

Astros: RHP Joe Smith (right elbow inflammation) felt fine after playing catch Sunday but likely won’t return from the disabled list until Houston’s next homestand, which begins on July 5.

LATE SCORING

With their two runs in the ninth on Monday night, the Astros have scored a major league best 137 runs in the seventh inning or later this season. Monday’s four-run deficit is the largest they’ve overcome to win this season, outdoing the two-run deficit they came back from for a victory on Sunday at Kansas City.

UP NEXT

Verlander (9-2, 1.61 ERA) opposes Tampa Bay’s Blake Snell (8-4, 2.58) in the second game of the series Tuesday night. Verlander yielded two homers and three runs in seven innings in his last start to extend his winning streak to five games. Snell looks to get back on track after he had a four-game winning streak snapped by allowing five hits and four runs in five innings of a loss to the Yankees his last time out.

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