Lowe and Wood hit HRs before Tena scores in 9th to lead Nationals past Orioles 4-3

BALTIMORE (AP) — José Tena came around from second base to score the tiebreaking run on an infield hit by Nasim Nuñez in the ninth inning, and the Washington Nationals got home runs from Nathaniel Lowe and James Wood in a 4-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.

After reaching on a walk from Félix Bautista (0-1) and taking second on a groundout, Tena was off and running when Nuñez hit a grounder to first baseman Ryan Mountcastle. Nuñez beat the throw to Bautista by a step before Tena came home.

Jorge López (6-0) worked the eighth and Kyle Finnegan got three outs to earn his 14th save.

Baltimore stranded 15 runners on base and went 4 for 15 with runners in scoring position.

Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore compiled some unusual numbers over 3 2/3 innings. The left-hander threw 102 pitches and struck out nine but yielded 10 hits, two walks and two runs.

Both center fielders made sensational catches early in the game. Baltimore's Cedric Mullins raced to the warning track before reaching out to his side to snag a drive by Nuñez in the third inning, and Jacob Young leaped at the wall to rob Mountcastle of a homer in the fourth.

Bryan Baker got the Orioles out of a jam in the seventh by striking out pinch-hitter Luis Garcia Jr. and Nuñez with two men on. Then Wood tied it in the eighth with his 12th homer of the season.

The Orioles got 14 hits, ending a 33-game run in which they had 11 or fewer. The team record is 35 straight, set in 1988 by the team that started 0-21.

The series continues Saturday with Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (2-1, 4.00 ERA) facing 37-year-old RHP Kyle Gibson (0-2, 13.11), who's yielded seven homers in his three starts this season.

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Baltimore Orioles' Ramon Laureano hits a single during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Baltimore (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

Washington Nationals' Nathaniel Lowe (33) scores after hitting a home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Baltimore (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

Baltimore Orioles' Jackson Holliday celebrates after hitting a double during the second inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Baltimore (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

Washington Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Baltimore (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

Washington Nationals' Nathaniel Lowe hits a home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Baltimore (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Richard “Dick” Codey, a former acting governor of New Jersey and the longest serving legislator in the state's history, died Sunday. He was 79.

Codey’s wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed her husband’s death to The Associated Press.

“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness,” Codey's family wrote in a Facebook post on Codey's official page.

"Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather -- and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him," the family said.

Known for his feisty, regular-guy persona, Codey was a staunch advocate of mental health awareness and care issues. The Democrat also championed legislation to ban smoking from indoor areas and sought more money for stem cell research.

Codey, the son of a northern New Jersey funeral home owner, entered the state Assembly in 1974 and served there until he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. He served as Senate president from 2002 to 2010.

Codey first served as acting governor for a brief time in 2002, after Christine Todd Whitman’s resignation to join President George W. Bush’s administration. He held the post again for 14 months after Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

At that time, New Jersey law mandated that the Senate president assume the governor’s role if a vacancy occurred, and that person would serve until the next election.

Codey routinely drew strong praise from residents in polls, and he gave serious consideration to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2005. But he ultimately chose not to run when party leaders opted to back wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine, who went on to win the office.

Codey would again become acting governor after Corzine was incapacitated in April 2007 due to serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. He held the post for nearly a month before Corzine resumed his duties.

After leaving the governor’s office, Codey returned to the Senate and also published a memoir that detailed his decades of public service, along with stories about his personal and family life.

“He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” his family wrote. “He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”

Codey and his wife often spoke candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression, and that led to controversy in early 2005, when a talk radio host jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air.

Codey, who was at the radio station for something else, confronted the host and said he told him that he wished he could “take him outside.” But the host claimed Codey actually threatened to “take him out,” which Codey denied.

His wife told The Associated Press that Codey was willing to support her speaking out about postpartum depression, even if it cost him elected office.

“He was a really, really good guy,” Mary Jo Codey said. “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.’”

Jack Brook contributed reporting from New Orleans.

FILE - New Jersey State Sen. and former Democratic Gov. Richard Codey is seen before New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)