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.

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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)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)