MItchell Parker works 8 innings of 1-hit ball as Nationals rout Orioles 7-0

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitchell Parker pitched eight innings to combine on a one-hitter, Nathaniel Lowe and Dylan Crews homered, and the Washington Nationals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 7-0 in the opener of a three-game series on Tuesday night.

James Wood had three hits on his bobblehead night and scored twice for Washington, which won for the third time in four games. Keibert Ruiz and José Tena also had three-hit outings for the Nationals.

Playing for the first time since Sunday’s 24-2 loss to Cincinnati, Baltimore didn’t get a runner past second base until the ninth inning. Cedric Mullins accounted for the Orioles’ lone hit with a one-out single in the third, and Baltimore was shut out for the third time this season.

Parker (3-1) struck out four and walked two while setting down his last 17 batters and lowering his ERA to 1.39. It was the longest outing of the left-hander’s 34-start big league career.

Colin Poche and Cole Henry finished.

Lowe hit a two-run homer off Dean Kremer (2-3) in the first. Tena tripled in the second and scored on Kremer’s wild pitch to make it 3-0, and the Nationals added RBI singles by Luis García Jr. and Ruiz in the fifth.

Crews led off the sixth with a home run, and Ruiz poked an RBI double in the seventh.

Kremer allowed six runs and 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Lowe’s home run on Kremer’s sixth pitch provided Washington a lead that Baltimore never threatened.

Kremer gave up six runs — five earned — raising the season ERA of Orioles starters to a majors-worst 6.22.

Baltimore RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (2-1, 3.43 ERA) faces Washington RHP Trevor Williams (1-2, 5.95) on Wednesday night.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Washington Nationals' Jose Tena runs towards home plate to score on a wild pitch by Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dean Kremer during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson throws to first base on a ball hit by Washington Nationals' James Wood for a single during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals' Jose Tena, right, slides towards third base for a triple against Baltimore Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg (11) during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Mitchell Parker throws against the Baltimore Orioles during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dean Kremer throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dean Kremer throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals' Nathaniel Lowe celebrates his two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals' Nathaniel Lowe, left, celebrates his two-run home run with third base coach Ricky Gutierrez, right, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals' Nathaniel Lowe, left, celebrates his two-run home run with left fielder James Wood, right, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Mitchell Parker throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

The first five games of the Winnipeg-St. Louis series have all had the same result. The home team won.

The Blues need that trend to continue Friday — or else.

Game 6 of the Jets-Blues matchup awaits in St. Louis, with Winnipeg — the NHL's best team in the regular season — holding a 3-2 series lead. The Blues rolled to wins on their home ice in Games 3 and 4, taking those games by scores of 7-2 and 5-1 to extend a run of invincibility there that has lasted for more than two months.

“It's a tough building to play in,” Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov said. “But I know we can get the win there.”

If they do, they will be doing so without star Mark Scheifele, the team's second-leading scorer and leader in game-winning goals this season. Scheifele was hurt in Game 5 and wasn't flying with Winnipeg to St. Louis on Thursday for Game 6.

The teams had different opinions about when Scheifele got hurt, but the bottom line is the Jets will be missing a big part of their team for a potential closeout game.

“Certainly, not having him is going to be huge,” Jets coach Scott Arniel said Thursday. “But at the end of the day, last night, our three centermen had to step up and play big minutes and did a great job. ... So proud of the group, how everybody stepped up. It's kind of what our team has done all year. Guys go down, other guys step in.”

Winnipeg was the most recent visiting team to win in St. Louis — but that was more than two months ago.

The Blues have put together the longest home winning streak in the NHL this season, a 14-game run that started on Feb. 23 and hasn't stopped. St. Louis has outscored opponents 69-25 in that span at home, winning by an average of a whopping 3.14 goals per game.

“We've played some good hockey at home for a couple months now,” St. Louis' Brayden Schenn said. “We're comfortable there.”

That's a bit of an understatement. The Blues have simply looked like a different team in their own building; St. Louis has had stretches of three goals in five minutes, three goals in eight minutes and three goals in 15 minutes so far in this series on its own ice.

They looked nothing like that club in Game 5, a 5-3 Winnipeg win that probably wasn't as close as that score would make it seem. Blues coach Jim Montgomery didn't waste any time thinking about that game once the final horn sounded.

“We can analyze every part of it. They were better,” Montgomery said. “So, we're on to the next one.”

It took St. Louis a long — long — time to get home on Thursday, after their travel plans were seriously delayed.

The Blues had plane issues trying to leave Winnipeg and, after a replacement jet was sent to Manitoba, they finally took off about eight hours behind schedule.

The Jets landed in St. Louis around 3 p.m. Central time on Thursday, actually a tiny bit ahead of schedule, while the Blues didn't get there until about 9 p.m.

When/Where to Watch: Game 6, Friday. 8 p.m. (TNT/truTV/Max)

Series: Jets lead 3-2

Winnipeg hasn't closed out a series with a road win since 2018, and getting it done Friday will be difficult.

Forget St. Louis' 14-game home winning streak, which is impressive enough. The Blues simply don't give up scoring chances in their building; they have allowed two goals or less in 11 of those 14 wins, and that level of stinginess puts enormous pressure on the other team's netminder.

That said, Winnipeg goalie and MVP hopeful Connor Hellebuyck has reveled in big moments like this all season.

The newly announced Hart Trophy finalist — alongside Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl and Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov — led the NHL with 47 wins, a 2.00 GAA, and a .925 save percentage this season, had eight shutouts, steered Winnipeg to its first Presidents’ Trophy, won the William M. Jennings Trophy (fewest goals allowed) for the second straight year and seems like a lock for the Vezina Trophy (top goalie) for the second straight year and third time in six seasons.

If Hellebuyck does win the Hart as MVP, he'd be the fourth goalie in the league's expansion era to do it alongside Dominik Hasek, José Théodore and Carey Price. He was pulled twice in St. Louis and has a gaudy 3.96 goals-against average and .822 save percentage in this series — including all three wins.

“He's our best player,” Namestnikov said.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

St. Louis Blues' Brayden Schenn (10) celebrates with Colton Parayko (55) after scoring against the Winnipeg Jets during the second period in Game 4 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series Sunday, April 27, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Connor Hamilton)

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) saves the shot from Winnipeg Jets' Jaret Anderson-Dolan (28) during first period NHL playoff action in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Dylan DeMelo (2), Vladislav Namestnikov (7), Gabriel Vilardi (13) and Kyle Connor (81) celebrate DeMelo's goal against the St. Louis Blues during second period NHL playoff action in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Blues head coach Jim Montgomery questions referee Kelly Sutherland during first period NHL playoff action against the Winnipeg Jets in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) makes the save off Winnipeg Jets' Gabriel Vilardi's (13) wraparound attempt during the third period of an NHL playoff game in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues players rough it up after the Blues score during the third period of an NHL playoff game in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)