Orioles 3, Astros 2
HOUSTON -- Adam Jones had his second consecutive multi-hit game and belted a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning as the Baltimore Orioles prevented a four-game sweep with a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Thursday at Minute Maid Park.
Jones, who had two of the Orioles' four hits in their loss on Wednesday night, smashed a 424-foot home run off Astros right-hander Chad Qualls (1-3) to snap a 2-2 deadlock. Jones finished 3-for-4 and scored two runs to help Baltimore (24-29) halt a five-game skid.
Orioles first baseman Steve Pearce added an RBI single in the sixth that scored Jones and erased the Astros' one-run lead. The only time Jones failed to reach base came in the first when he struck out one at-bat before designated hitter Chris Davis delivered a run-scoring hit that plated Manny Machado and gave Baltimore a 1-0 lead.
The Astros (34-21) offered an uneven performance, from ace left-hander Dallas Keuchel to their defense and their late-inning offense.
Keuchel, coming off back-to-back complete games and consecutive American League Pitcher of the Month honors, struggled with consistency. He needed 108 pitches to complete six laborious innings, allowing two runs, six hits and one walk while striking out seven.
The second run against Kuechel resulted from a mental miscue by shortstop Marwin Gonzalez, who while shifted to the right side of second base, fielded a ground ball off Davis' bat in the sixth while simultaneously approaching Jones as he dashed from first to second.
Instead of applying the tag to Jones, who was trapped on the play, Gonzalez allowed Jones to stop and then opted to retire Davis at first. Jones advanced to second on the play and scored when Pearce singled to left.
In the sixth and seventh innings, the Astros placed the potential go-ahead runner at third base with no outs yet failed to score.
Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, who had a season-high nine strikeouts, escaped the first jam with strikeouts of Chris Carter and Luis Valbuena. Right-handed reliever Darren O'Day (2-0) stranded two Astros in scoring position by fanning right fielder George Springer before second baseman Jose Altuve hit a harmless fly ball to Jones to close the seventh.
Orioles left-hander Zach Britton got five outs for his 14th save this season.
NOTES: Orioles RHP Bud Norris and C Matt Wieters completed rehab assignments on Wednesday with Triple-A Norfolk and will rejoin the club in Cleveland on Friday. Norris, placed on the 15-day disabled list with bronchitis on May 11, struck out two in four hitless innings against the Gwinnett Braves. Wieters, on the 60-day DL after Tommy John surgery last season, served as the catcher in the opener and the designated hitter in the second game of the doubleheader. He had three hits, a walk and two runs. ... Royals manager Ned Yost named Astros first-year manager A.J. Hinch to the American League coaching staff for the All-Star Game, set for July 14 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. ... Orioles SS J.J. Hardy was held out of the starting lineup for a fourth consecutive game but could return Friday night in Cleveland as his sore left side continues to improve.