If we told you that Orioles starting pitcher Erik Bedard struck out 12 Nationals batters in a thoroughly dominating performance on Sunday, you’d have expected the O’s to cruise to their third win in a sweep of their Beltway rivals. Likewise, if we told you that both Ryan Zimmerman and Austin Kearns homered and the Nats opened with a 6-0 lead on the road in Cincinnati last night, you’d have expected a first road win in 9 tries.

Needless to say, you’d be wrong on both counts. After dropping the first two games of the Beltway series, the Nats barely got on base for the first 7 innings, as Bedard fanned batter after batter. Bedard felt his "legs going" after 7 innings and asked to be pulled. Manager Sam Perlozzo obliged, and Washington capitalized. Zimmerman’s double to centerfield off Chad Bradford drove in one, then struggling reliever Danys Baez allowed a couple hits and walked the bases full for Nook Logan to ground a single into center. The hit brought home Kearns and Belliard, giving the Nats a 4-3 lead. In the top of the 9th, closer Chad Cordero gave up a Miguel Tejada single, but "the Chief" closed up shop after that and recorded his 5th save of the season.

Manny Acta’s crew certainly hoped a strong home stand – they took 7 out of 10 – could generate some momentum for a road swing this week, starting in Cincy. And it appeared to do just that, with the Nats absolutely hammering Reds starter and axe-slinger Bronson Arroyo for a 4-0 lead. Starter Levale Speigner kept the Reds off the board for an inning, but that’s when the game spiraled out of control. The Nats’ recent winning form was marked by solid relief pitching and a bit of small-ball at the plate, but the Great American Ballpark is a home run hitter's park and the ensuing shootout would favor the Reds. The Nats weren't helped by a botched pop fly that fell between Logan and Kearns, neither one seemingly decisive enough to call the other off or step up and make the catch. And the fact that pinch hitter Javier Valentin eventually hit a two-run shot in the 8th to give the Reds the win wasn’t so surprising; that it came off the normally strong Jon Rauch was.

Ultimately, the rest of this series – in a hitter friendly park – will show whether the improved play of the Nats’ pitching staff was a flash in the pan, or if a rotation that includes Speigner, Matt Chico, Jason Simontacchi, and currently features Jason Bergmann as its “ace” can continue to win a few games.

The series continues tonight @ Cincinnati, 7:10 p.m. TV coverage on MASN.