Photo gallery: Relive O’s-Nats’ three memorable games this week in pictures

Maybe it’s a rivalry, maybe not.

The Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals play in neighboring cities, but different leagues. They face each other a few times a year, but not 19 times like clubs within their divisions.

Most Nationals’ fans have more animosity toward the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies than they do the Orioles.

And Orioles’ fans would much rather see their team beat up the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays than those guys down Interstate 95.

Still the O’s-Nats contests draw solid crowds — and almost always produce interesting battles. That was definitely the case this week, when the Orioles beat the Nats twice at Camden Yards, lost once at Nats Park, all by two runs or fewer. They didn’t play the fourth game because of Thursday’s rain. They’ll meet up again for one more in Washington on June 8.

It was a noteworthy week of O’s-Nats baseball with a couple walk-off wins and the return of Matt Wieters to Baltimore. Here’s a look – in pictures – at the “regional rivalry” battle.

The festivities kicked off early Monday afternoon with former Orioles’ catcher Matt Wieters meeting the Baltimore media in the visiting dugout. Wieters admitted there might be a little nervousness, but he was excited to return to where he spent eight seasons playing baseball.

Matt Wieters said he wasn’t quite sure what the reception would be when he came to the plate for the first time at Camden Yards as a visitor. What he received Monday was an extended standing ovation. He stepped out of the batter’s box and waved to the crowd.

The Orioles didn’t allow the good feelings with Wieters to continue very long. In the first inning Monday they jumped on Gio Gonzalez for three homers and four runs. Joey Rickard got it going with a leadoff homer.

Rookie Trey Mancini continued his good mojo, hitting a towering homer in the first inning that nearly cleared both bullpens in left center. His teammates showered him with sunflower seeds once he returned to the dugout.

Kevin Gausman showed plenty of class by kneeling and waiting for the fans to properly cheer Wieters in the third inning. But for the rest of Monday’s game Gausman attacked Nats’ hitters with his best performance of the season in the Orioles’ 6-4 win. He gave up just two runs and struck out eight in seven innings.

The Orioles knew Tuesday wasn’t going to be easy with defending 2016 Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer on the mound. It wasn’t. Scherzer struck out 11 Orioles and allowed two runs – both solo homers – in an eight-inning no-decision.

The Orioles didn’t have a hit until the sixth inning against Scherzer. Seth Smith then broke up the no-hitter and shutout with a homer to right center to tie the game at 1-1.

Ubaldo Jimenez matched Max Scherzer for seven innings, but gave up a three-run homer in the eighth. It was still a strong performance by Jimenez against an excellent offensive team.

The Orioles nearly won Tuesday’s game in the 11th, but J.J. Hardy was thrown out at the plate on a laser by right fielder Bryce Harper and excellent tag by catcher Matt Wieters.

Mark Trumbo won Tuesday’s game with a walkoff, bases-loaded single in the 12th inning. It gave the Orioles a 5-4 come-from-behind victory.

Wade Miley had another strange performance Wednesday. He allowed nine baserunners and threw 119 pitches in five innings, but left with the Orioles on top, 5-2.

Manny Machado, sporting a new hairdo/design, homered in the seventh Wednesday, his ninth of the season (homers, not hairdos). It gave the Orioles a 6-2 lead that eventually evaporated into a 7-6 loss.

Brad Brach, the Orioles’ de facto closer, couldn’t hold onto a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the ninth, surrendering three runs while recording one out in Wednesday’s 7-6 loss.

Jayson Werth’s homer in the bottom of the ninth cut the Orioles’ lead to 6-5. What was most impressive is that it came on the 11th pitch he saw from Brad Brach. Werth continued to foul off pitches until he found one he could drive.

The Orioles have seen Matt Wieters’ late-inning heroics plenty of times. Wieters has nine walkoff hits in his career. Eight have occurred for the Orioles; the ninth was in Wednesday’s ninth inning, a two-run single against former teammate Brad Brach.

Thursday’s game was canceled due to rain. It will be made up Thursday, June 8 at Nationals Park. It will be the last time the two teams face each other in 2017 – unless, of course, they each end up in the World Series.