Austin Hays drove in the game’s lone run and Dean Kremer pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings to lead the visiting Baltimore Orioles to a 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.

Hays’ run-scoring single in the fourth gave the Orioles all they would need to win for the fourth time in their past five games, especially with the way Kremer (1-0) pitched to open the two-game series.

The right-hander allowed just four hits to go along with six strikeouts and no walks before being replaced by Danny Coulombe, who got the last out in the seventh.

Yennier Cano pitched a perfect eighth inning before Felix Bautista worked around a two-out hit in the ninth for his fifth save of the season. Luis Garcia singled and pinch runner Alex Call stole second, but Keibert Ruiz grounded out to end the game.

Kremer had by far his best start of the season. He entered the night having served up five homers in 12 1/3 innings over three starts after giving up just 11 long balls in 125 1/3 innings all of last season.

Ryan Mountcastle, Anthony Santander, Jorge Mateo, Cedric Mullins and Hays each had a hit apiece to account for the Orioles’ production in their seventh win over the Nationals in the past eight meetings.

The Orioles got the decisive run in the fourth. After Mountcastle led off with a single to right and Santander popped out, Adam Frazier walked before Hays’ single to left scored Mountcastle, with Hays getting thrown out at second on the play.

That was all the Orioles would get off Nationals starter Josiah Gray (0-4), who allowed a run on four hits with three strikeouts and four walks in five-plus innings. He was removed in favor of Mason Thompson after walking Santander to open the sixth inning.

Dominic Smith, Jeimer Candelario, CJ Abrams, Stone Garrett and Garcia each had a hit apiece to account for all of the offense for the Nationals, who have dropped five of their past six games.

–Field Level Media