Steve Pearce hits go-ahead homer in seventh as O's beat Houston

The Orioles were facing the American League's ERA leader, who had given up just one homer all year over nine starts and 64 2/3 innings.

But the O's hit two homers today to beat Dallas Keuchel and the Astros 4-3 this afternoon in front of 28,909 at Camden Yards.

Caleb Joseph's two-run homer in the last of the second off Kuechel had given the Orioles a 2-0 lead. Joseph's fourth homer came on a 1-1 pitch. With that one swing, the O's matched their run output for the last 23 innings of the series at Miami. They had also gone a season-high three straight games without a homer.

But Houston eventually worked into a 3-2 lead and Keuchel, who entered today 6-0 with an ERA of 1.67, was rolling. He retired 10 in a row entering the last of the seventh with that lead.

But with one out, Delmon Young singled, and Steve Pearce came up and homered on the first pitch. His two-run shot to right center was his fifth and the O's had a 4-3 lead.

Late in the game, their pitching made it stand up. After Wei-Yin Chen went just five innings, Brad Brach retired all six batters he faced over the next two innings on 23 pitches. Oliver Drake, making his second big league appearance, then retired the side in order in the eighth. Zach Britton recorded his 11th save with a 1-2-3 ninth as the bullpen pitchers retired all 12 batters they faced.

Against Chen, Houston put the first two runners on base the first two innings, but didn't score. George Springer led off the third with his seventh homer to pull Houston within 2-1.

The Astros kept getting hits off Chen, but didn't score. Through the fourth inning they were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Springer and Jose Altuve led off the fifth with singles before Chen got the next two outs. A strike away from getting out of that jam, he yielded a two-run, bloop single down the right field line to Chris Carter for a 3-2 Houston lead.

After going seven innings or more in four of his last five starts, Chen today went five innings and gave up 11 hits and three runs, with no walks and six strikeouts. The 11 hits he allowed are a season high and one off his career high.

O's shortstop J.J. Hardy left today's game before the top of the eighth with back tightness. Hardy had singled in the last of the seventh after Pearce's homer, but did not take the field for the eighth.

The Orioles were 4-6 in one-run games, while Houston was 11-4 before today's result. In the second game of the series on Tuesday night, Chris Tillman (2-5, 6.10 ERA) faces right-hander Scott Feldman (3-4, 5.17 ERA).