Young, Orioles Hold Off Astros 5-2 in Houston

Pitching Dominance

Brandon Young delivered a masterful performance on the mound for the Baltimore Orioles, earning the win by pitching seven innings and allowing just one earned run. Young struck out seven batters while walking only one, effectively neutralizing the Houston Astros lineup. He was supported by Rico Garcia, who threw a scoreless inning, and Grant Wolfram, who secured the save with a perfect frame of relief.

The Astros struggled to contain Baltimore’s offense early. Hunter Brown took the loss after giving up four earned runs in 4.2 innings, striking out four but issuing six walks. Bryan King, Kai-Wei Teng, and Cristian Javier combined for the final five innings, with Teng and Javier both allowing no earned runs.

Third-Inning Surge

The game’s momentum shifted in the third inning when Baltimore capitalized on aggressive base running and timely hitting. Henderson singled to left field, allowing Holliday to score and give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. Henderson then stole home, extending the advantage to 2-0.

Although the scoring summary lists this play twice, the score remained 2-0 until Alvarez doubled to right, driving in Altuve to make it 2-1.

Late Inning Runs

Baltimore added to its lead in the fifth inning when Taveras singled to left field. The hit drove in both Alonso and Ward, with Huff advancing to second, pushing the score to 4-1. In the sixth, Mayo homered to right center, a 384-foot shot that increased the margin to 5-1.

Houston attempted a late rally in the eighth inning. Altuve homered to left, a 353-foot blast, to make the final score 5-2. Despite the home run, the Astros could not overcome the deficit.

Final Notes

The game was played at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, with an attendance of 28,936. The Orioles improved their record to 49-51, while the Astros fell to 47-54. The victory marks Baltimore’s seventh consecutive win.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816177