Jorge López throws strong game in loss to Astros

Perhaps motivated by back-to-back shaky outings and/or by tying a career high by allowing three homers in his last start, Orioles right-hander Jorge López seemed focused on getting deep into tonight's game.

And he gave the Orioles their 16th outing this year by a starting pitcher of six innings or more. He went a season-best 6 1/3 innings. But a seventh inning run by Houston broke a tie game as the Astros went on to beat the Orioles 3-1 at Oriole Park.

While Houston (45-28) has won nine in a row, 13 of 15 and 18 of 22 games, the Orioles (23-50) moved halfway to 100 losses tonight. They are 1-12 in their past 13 games and 8-24 since May 5.

López, who began tonight with an ERA of 5.95, had allowed 15 hits and 10 runs over nine combined innings in his last two starts against Tampa Bay and Cleveland. Cleveland homered twice against him in the first inning last week and three times in the first three innings of that game.

But López carried today's game into the seventh inning with 89 pitches through the sixth. It was the third time this year he had thrown six innings or more for an O's team that has gotten eight such games from John Means, two each from Bruce Zimmermann and Dean Kremer, and one from Matt Harvey in addition to the three now from López.

Coming into tonight, the O's had just one such outing in the last 18 games in June and that was Saturday by Kremer against Toronto. The only O's pitcher to throw seven or more this year is Means and he has done that five times. He last did it 25 games ago on May 25.

López, now 2-9 with an ERA of 5.68, allowed five hits and two runs over 6 1/3 innings with two walks and six strikeouts. He threw 95 pitches, 61 for strikes, using his two and four-seam fastballs 50 percent of his time and his secondary pitches 50 percent.

He threw well against a team on a winning streak and that features the best offense in the majors. Houston began this game leading the majors in runs scored (409), hits (691), batting average (.277), OBP (.348), slugging and OPS (.802), and ranking second in doubles (145) and seventh in homers (95).

The tiebreaking run scored after he had left the game. In a 1-1 tie in the Houston seventh, López gave up a one-out infield single and manager Brandon Hyde called for Hunter Harvey. With Chas McCormick at first base and running on the pitch, Myles Straw flared a ball into short right field on a checked swing. DJ Stewart dove, but could make the catch as McCormick circled the bases and Houston led 2-1. Straw drove in their first two runs tonight and earlier hit a solo homer to left in the second off López.

Houston got an insurance run in the eighth charged to Tanner Scott. McCormick's sac fly scored Yuli Gurriel, who had singled.

Houston starter Zack Greinke was rolling for a time with a very low pitch count. He had just 64 pitches through six innings, throwing nine pitches in the first followed by 13, 13, 13, eight and eight pitches. He gave up Cedric Mullins sac fly in the third, but little else. He allowed a double in the seventh and was pulled with one out in the eighth. Greinke got the win and is 8-2 with an ERA of 3.56.

The Orioles fall to 1-4 on this homestand, losing four in a row since they won the homestand opener on Friday versus Toronto.

In the Houston series finale on Wednesday night, O's right-hander Thomas Eshelman (0-0, 1.93 ERA) makes his second start and faces right-hander José Urquidy (5-3, 3.65 ERA).