WASHINGTON (AP) — Jorge Mateo drove in the go-ahead run with a 12th-inning single, and the Baltimore Orioles survived another shaky outing by closer Craig Kimbrel to beat the Washington Nationals 7-6 on Wednesday night and avoid being swept for the first time in nearly two years.
The Orioles blew two-run leads in the ninth and 11th. Ryan Mountcastle put Baltimore on top 5-3 with a two-run homer in the 11th off Hunter Harvey, but pinch-hitter Ildemaro Vargas hit a ground-rule double off Albert Suárez (2-0) in the bottom half to make it 5-4, and Jacob Young then tied it with a sacrifice fly.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Jorge Mateo drove in the go-ahead run with a 12th-inning single, and the Baltimore Orioles survived another shaky outing by closer Craig Kimbrel to beat the Washington Nationals 7-6 on Wednesday night and avoid being swept for the first time in nearly two years.
Baltimore Orioles' Gunnar Henderson, right, is congratulated by Adley Rutschman (35) after hitting a solo home run against the Washington Nationals during sixth inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Baltimore Orioles' Anthony Santander (25) is congratulated in the dugout after his solo home run against the Washington Nationals during the fourth inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Washington Nationals pitcher Mitchell Parker throws during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Nationals Park in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Baltimore Orioles' Anthony Santander rounds third base after hitting a solo home run against the Washington Nationals during the fourth inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish throws to a Washington Nationals batter during the first inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Baltimore Orioles' Gunnar Henderson rounds second base on a solo home run against the Washington Nationals during sixth inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
In the 12th, Mateo led off with a base hit to score automatic runner Jordan Westburg, advanced to third on errors by third baseman Vargas and catcher Keibert Ruiz, and scored on a wild pitch by Jordan Weems (1-1).
“It was quite a game. There was a lot of stuff that happened there the last four or five innings,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “Mounty with the huge homer, Jorge with the exciting single that turned into a Little League triple. ... A lot to unpack there, but I'm definitely relieved we won the game.”
Jacob Webb allowed Luis García Jr.'s leadoff double in the bottom half that got the Nationals within 7-6 but retired the next three batters for his second save.
Kimbrel blew a save for the third time in his last five outings, and it could have been four had he not been bailed out by Yennier Cano in a 2-1 win at Cincinnati on Saturday.
“We’re going to stick with him. This guy’s got a big-time track record. He’s a Hall of Famer, and we need to get him right,” Hyde said. “It’s important that we get him right.”
Kimbrel began the ninth with a 3-1 lead and retired the first two Washington batters before Eddie Rosario took him deep to right-center. He then issued back-to-back walks and was pulled for Keegan Akin, who gave up CJ Abrams’ tying single.
The 35-year-old right-hander, signed in the offseason as a replacement for the injured Félix Bautista, is tied for fifth all-time with 425 career saves but has blown four of his 12 opportunities this season. He did not speak to reporters after the game.
“I think he’s gonna be fine, man,” Webb said. “He’s a Hall of Famer in my book and, you know, being around him every day and, and watching what he does, I think we have all the confidence in the world.”
Thanks in part to Webb, the AL East-leading Orioles split the two-game series in front of a friendly crowd against their not-so-hated local rivals and extended their streak of regular-season series without being swept to 103, fourth-best in major league history. It was the 13th time in that span they won a series finale to extend the streak. Baltimore was last swept when it dropped three straight at Detroit from May 13-15, 2022, days before star catcher Adley Rutschman made his major league debut.
Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson hit his 11th homer of the season to match Shohei Ohtani for the major league lead, a go-ahead moonshot in the sixth.
Anthony Santander also homered off Nationals rookie left-hander Mitchell Parker, who had not allowed a longball in his previous four major league starts.
Making his second start of the season after he was sidelined by a UCL strain, Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish allowed one run in five labor-intensive innings. He struck out nine while allowing four hits, two walks and a hit batter.
Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz singled in each of his first two at-bats to break out of a 3-for-51 slump.
Washington (18-18) fell back to .500 one day after achieving its first winning record since July 1, 2021.
“They put two on, we come back; they put two on, we come back,” manager Dave Martinez said. “That says a lot about this ballclub. It was beautiful, it really was. We fell short, but if we keep playing like that, we're going to win a lot of baseball games.”
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: RHP Grayson Rodriguez threw off a mound Wednesday for the first time since going on the 15-day injured list a week ago with right shoulder inflammation. He threw 15 pitches, including some breaking balls, and said he felt fine.
Nationals: RHP Josiah Gray (right elbow) threw 30 fastballs in his latest bullpen session Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Orioles: Host Arizona on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series, with LHP Cole Irvin (3-1, 2.86 ERA) starting.
Nationals: Send lefty Patrick Corbin (0-3, 6.45) to the mound as they begin a three-game set at Boston on Friday night.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Baltimore Orioles' Jorge Mateo (3) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring against the Washington National in the 12th inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Baltimore Orioles' Gunnar Henderson, right, is congratulated by Adley Rutschman (35) after hitting a solo home run against the Washington Nationals during sixth inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Baltimore Orioles' Anthony Santander (25) is congratulated in the dugout after his solo home run against the Washington Nationals during the fourth inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Washington Nationals pitcher Mitchell Parker throws during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Nationals Park in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Baltimore Orioles' Anthony Santander rounds third base after hitting a solo home run against the Washington Nationals during the fourth inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish throws to a Washington Nationals batter during the first inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Baltimore Orioles' Gunnar Henderson rounds second base on a solo home run against the Washington Nationals during sixth inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and several other officials were found dead on Monday, hours after their helicopter crashed in a foggy, mountainous region of the country’s northwest, state media reported.
The crash comes as the Middle East remains unsettled by the Israel-Hamas war, during which Raisi, who was 63, under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel just last month.
During Raisi's term in office, Iran enriched uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels, further escalating tensions with the West as Tehran also supplied bomb-carrying drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine and armed militia groups across the region.
Meanwhile, Iran has faced years of mass protests against its Shiite theocracy over its ailing economy and women’s rights — making the moment that much more sensitive for Tehran and the future of the country.
State TV gave no immediate cause for the crash that occurred in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.
Among the dead was Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, 60. The helicopter also carried the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, other officials and bodyguards, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
Early Monday morning, Turkish authorities released what they described as drone footage showing what appeared to be a fire in the wilderness that they “suspected to be wreckage of helicopter.” The coordinates listed in the footage put the fire some 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the Azerbaijan-Iranian border on the side of a steep mountain.
Footage released by the IRNA early Monday showed what the agency described as the crash site, across a steep valley in a green mountain range. Soldiers speaking in the local Azeri language said: “There it is, we found it.”
Condolences started pouring in from neighbors and allies after Iran confirmed there were no survivors from the crash. Pakistan announced a day of mourning and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X that his country "stands with Iran in this time of sorrow.” Leaders of Egypt and Jordan also offered condolences, as did Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said he and his government were “deeply shocked" — Raisi was returning on Sunday after traveling to Iran’s border with Azerbaijan to inaugurate a dam with Aliyev when the crash happened.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan conveyed his condolences. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a statement released by the Kremlin, described Raisi “as a true friend of Russia.”
Khamenei, who had himself urged the public to pray Sunday night, stressed the business of Iran’s government would continue no matter what.
Under the Iranian constitution, Iran’s vice first president takes over if the president dies, with Khamenei’s assent, and a new presidential election would be called within 50 days.
First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber already had begun receiving calls from officials and foreign governments in Raisi’s absence, state media reported. An emergency meeting of Iran's Cabinet was held as state media made the announcement Monday morning. The Cabinet issued a statement afterward pledging it would follow Raisi's path and that “with the help of God and the people, there will be no problem with management of the country.”
A hard-liner who formerly led the country’s judiciary, Raisi was viewed as a protégé of Khamenei and some analysts had suggested he could replace the 85-year-old leader after Khamenei’s death or resignation.
With Raisi's death, the only other person so far suggested has been Mojtaba Khameini, the 55-year-old son to the supreme leader. However, some have raised concerns over the position being taken only for the third time since 1979 to a family member, particularly after the Islamic Revolution overthrew the hereditary Pahlavi monarchy of the shah.
Raisi won Iran’s 2021 presidential election, a vote that saw the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s history. Raisi is sanctioned by the U.S. in part over his involvement in the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 at the end of the bloody Iran-Iraq war.
Under Raisi, Iran now enriches uranium at nearly weapons-grade levels and hampers international inspections. Iran has armed Russia in its war on Ukraine, as well as launched a massive drone-and-missile attack on Israel amid its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It also has continued arming proxy groups in the Mideast, like Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, mass protests in the country have raged for years. The most recent involved the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who had been earlier detained over allegedly not wearing a hijab, or headscarf, to the liking of authorities. The monthslong security crackdown that followed the demonstrations killed more than 500 people and saw over 22,000 detained.
In March, a United Nations investigative panel found that Iran was responsible for the “physical violence” that led to Amini’s death.
Raisi is the second Iranian president to die in office. In 1981, a bomb blast killed President Mohammad Ali Rajai in the chaotic days after the country's Islamic Revolution.
Associated Press writer Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.
In this photo provided by Moj News Agency, rescue teams' vehicles are seen near the site of the incident of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Varzaghan in northwestern Iran, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying President Raisi, the country's foreign minister and other officials apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday, sparking a massive rescue operation in a fog-shrouded forest as the public was urged to pray. (Azin Haghighi, Moj News Agency via AP)
In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Ebrahim Raisi attends a meeting with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev during the inauguration ceremony of dam of Qiz Qalasi, or Castel of Girl in Azeri, at the border of Iran and Azerbaijan, Sunday, May 19, 2024. Raisi, a hard-line protégé of the country's supreme leader who helped oversee the mass executions of thousands in 1988 and later led the country as it enriched uranium near weapons-grade levels and launched a major drone-and-missile attack on Israel, has died in a helicopter crash, according to state media on Monday, May 20. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)
In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, left, shakes hands with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev during a meeting to inaugurate the dam of Qiz Qalasi, or Castel of Girl in Azeri, at the border of Iran and Azerbaijan, Sunday, May 19, 2024. Rescuers on Monday found a helicopter that was carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country's foreign minister and other officials that had apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran the day before, though "no sign of life" was detected, state media reported. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)
In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks in meeting a group of families of the Revolutionary Guard members in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country's foreign minister and other officials apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday, sparking a massive rescue operation. "We hope that God the Almighty returns the dear president and his colleagues in full health to the arms of the nation," Khamenei said, drawing an "amen" from the audience he was addressing. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
People pray for President Ebrahim Raisi in a ceremony at Vali-e-Asr square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying President Raisi, the country's foreign minister and other officials apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday, sparking a massive rescue operation in a fog-shrouded forest as the public was urged to pray. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
In this photo provided by Moj News Agency, rescue teams' vehicles are seen near the site of the incident of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Varzaghan in northwestern Iran, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying President Raisi, the country's foreign minister and other officials apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday, sparking a massive rescue operation in a fog-shrouded forest as the public was urged to pray. (Azin Haghighi/Moj News Agency via AP)
In this photo provided by Moj News Agency, rescue teams and people are seen near the site of the incident of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Varzaghan in northwestern Iran, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying President Raisi, the country's foreign minister and other officials apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday, sparking a massive rescue operation in a fog-shrouded forest as the public was urged to pray. (Azin Haghighi/Moj News Agency via AP)
In this photo provided by Moj News Agency, rescue teams are seen near the site of the incident of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Varzaghan in northwestern Iran, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying President Raisi, the country's foreign minister and other officials apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday, sparking a massive rescue operation in a fog-shrouded forest as the public was urged to pray. (Azin Haghighi, Moj News Agency via AP)
In this photo provided by Moj News Agency, rescue teams' vehicles are seen near the site of the incident of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Varzaghan in northwestern Iran, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying President Raisi, the country's foreign minister and other officials apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday, sparking a massive rescue operation in a fog-shrouded forest as the public was urged to pray. (Azin Haghighi/Moj News Agency via AP)
In this photo provided by the Azerbaijan's Presidential Press Office, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, left, shakes hands with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev during their meeting in the inauguration ceremony of dam of Qiz Qalasi, or Castel of Girl in Azeri, at the border of Iran and Azerbaijan, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi suffered a "hard landing" on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without immediately elaborating. (Azerbaijani Presidential Press Office via AP)
An Iranian state-TV news reader reads news on incident of a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in northwestern Iran, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi suffered a "hard landing" on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without immediately elaborating. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Ebrahim Raisi, left, speaks with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev on the inauguration of dam of Qiz Qalasi, or Castel of Girl in Azeri, at the border of Iran and Azerbaijan, Sunday May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi suffered a "hard landing" on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without immediately elaborating. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)
In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Ebrahim Raisi attends a meeting with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev during the inauguration ceremony of dam of Qiz Qalasi, or Castel of Girl in Azeri, at the border of Iran and Azerbaijan, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi suffered a "hard landing" on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without immediately elaborating. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)
Pilgrims pray for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at Imam Reza Shrine in the city of Mashhad, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi suffered a "hard landing" on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without elaborating. (Mohammad Hasan Salavati/Shahraranews via AP)
Iranian pilgrims pray for President Ebrahim Raisi at Imam Reza Shrine in the city of Mashhad, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi suffered a "hard landing" on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without elaborating. (Mohammad Hasan Salavati/Shahraranews via AP)
In this photo provided by Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi takes off at the Iranian border with Azerbaijan after President Raisi and his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev inaugurated the dam of Qiz Qalasi, or Castel of Girl in Azeri, Iran, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying President Raisi suffered a "hard landing" on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without elaborating. (Ali Hamed Haghdoust/IRNA via AP)
In this photo provided by Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi takes off at the Iranian border with Azerbaijan after President Raisi and his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev inaugurated dam of Qiz Qalasi, or Castel of Girl in Azeri, Iran, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying President Raisi suffered a "hard landing" on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without elaborating. (Ali Hamed Haghdoust/IRNA via AP)
FILE- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi places his hands on his heart as a gesture of respect to the crowd during the funeral ceremony of the victims of Wednesday's bomb explosion in the city of Kerman about 510 miles (820 kms) southeast of the capital Tehran, Iran, Jan. 5, 2024. A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi suffered a “hard landing” on Sunday, May 19, 2024, Iranian state television reported, without immediately elaborating. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)
People pray for President Ebrahim Raisi in a ceremony at Vali-e-Asr square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying President Raisi, the country's foreign minister and other officials apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday, sparking a massive rescue operation in a fog-shrouded forest as the public was urged to pray. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
