Hernandez solid in win over Nats

David Hernandez has not earned a win since August of last year vs. Oakland. Before the game, Dave Trembley said he just needs Hernandez to get through the first inning. Well Hernandez did better than that when he took a no-hitter into the fifth inning only to have it broken up by Nats' pitcher Miguel Batista, who replaced the injured Scott Olsen who left the game with left shoulder stiffness.

Hernandez, who missed his last start with shoulder soreness, pitched as if he hadn't missed a beat against the tough Nats' lineup. Retiring nine of the first 10 batters, Hernandez didn't allow a hit until the fifth with two outs. He exited the game after 105 pitches with one out in the sixth after allowing back-to-back walks to the heart of the Nats order, Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn.

Matt Albers came in in relief and allowed two runs, an RBI groundout to Pudge Rodriguez and a two-run home run to leadoff man Willie Harris (after Nyjer Morgan recorded a pinch-hit double). Will Ohman got the O's out of the seventh and Cla Meredith threw a scoreless eighth.

The O's offense woke up -- Adam Jones, who would leave the game with right leg cramps, hit a two-run HR in the second and Craig Tatum, playing for Matt Wieters, who has a sore right knee, hit a two-run single in the third and Corey Patterson notched his fifth RBI with a single to center in the eighth. There's your five Orioles' runs.

The O's took the first game of this three-game set, 5-3. They'll send Brad Bergesen to the mound tomorrow to face Craig Stammen. Kevin Millwood will then oppose John Lannan on Sunday.