Wrapping up Game 1 loss (O's down 5-2)

The Orioles are trying to avoid being swept in today's doubleheader and also are seeking their first win against the Astros this season.

The process is complicated, of course, by the opponent rolling out ace after ace. It seems unfair, as if the deck is stacked.

Myles Straw hit his first major league home run, a solo shot to center field in the first inning to give the Astros a 1-0 lead, but rookie catcher Austin Wynns tied the game in the second with a single off left-hander Dallas Keuchel that scored Tim Beckham.

Wynns was tagged out in a rundown while John Andreoli motored to third base.

The Orioles have been outscored 128-72 in the opening frame this season.

Yefry Ramírez is making his 12th major league start after Dylan Bundy posted his career-high 31st of the season in Game 1, which the Orioles lost 4-3 on Carlos Correa's run-scoring double off Sean Gilmartin in the top of the ninth.

Bundy served up back-to-back home runs to George Springer and Correa in the sixth to fall behind 3-0. He surrendered a club-record 41 this season, a total that will gnaw at him throughout the winter.

"Definitely," he said. "I'm not sure how many, but it was a lot this year, that's for sure. I've definitely got to get that number down for next year. ... I've just got to keep the ball down and make pitches and not leave it over the plate."

Bundy notched his 15th quality start, but he won't celebrate the 5.45 ERA.

"It wasn't great," he said, "but I finished the year healthy and the last start was somewhat strong, so I'll think about that stuff more later when I get home in the offseason."

As manager Buck Showalter scrambled to find healthy starters to close out the season, Bundy pushed to stay on the mound and pitch again this weekend. It was important to him.

"Absolutely, yeah," he said. "That was my goal was 30 starts and I ended up getting 31, 32 with the rainout. But that was my goal coming into the year and luckily I was able to stay healthy and finish that goal this weekend."

Bundy allowed three runs and six hits in six innings, walking one batter and striking out seven. But Astros veteran right-hander Justin Verlander struck out 10 batters in six scoreless innings.

"(Bundy) was pretty good, especially early on," Showalter said. "It gets magnified because of the way Verlander's pitching, there's not going to be much margin for error. But I thought it was a pretty positive note all things considered.

"He was carrying one of his better fastballs, had better command. Just a couple pitches he got where he didn't want to get, but there wasn't going to be much margin for error. He gave us a chance to win.

"I'm glad to see him end on a good note and also end pitching his last start of the season. A lot to be said for that. That's all you need to know about Dylan. It was important to him to pitch today."

What made Verlander so tough again today?

"Everything," Showalter replied. "He didn't break out the changeup until the fourth or fifth inning. Two curveballs, command. It's not reinvent. You see the things he's done. He's 35 years old. It's remarkable to watch him pitch, even though it's beating you. It's a good exposure of why they're good. They have three guys with 200 innings.

"He would have kept pitching I'm sure in five or six days from now. I'd like to say it was fun to watch, but it was tough."

DJ Stewart tied the game with a three-run homer off reliever Joe Smith in the seventh.

"DJ's done well all things considered," Showalter said. "I think it's a reminder sometimes guys ... He was having a fairly sold year until the last month and a half. He's come up here and made a good impression."

Stewart is counting on it.

"Hopefully, a good one," he said. "Just trying to go out every day and do my best. Try to make a play or two every night and hopefully they like what they see."

Stewart hit his third major league home run, reaching the seats in right field against Smith after consulting with hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh.

"Cooly was telling me he likes his breaking ball, his fastball runs away a little bit," Stewart said. "First pitch he threw me was actually a good pitch to hit, as well. First-pitch breaking ball, but with the batter in front of me seeing four straight balls, kind of wanted to see one and I had never faced him. So, I saw one, it was a good pitch to hit. Fortunately, he gave me another one, came back with the fastball running away and I put a good swing on it."

The experience of getting at-bats against a string of quality teams can only benefit Stewart. He's making the most of September.

"It's huge," he said. "Like I said when we were in New York, we're playing three teams that are all in the playoffs and any of them could be in the World Series. These guys are the reigning champs. To play them when they're trying to get ready for that, they're going out there competing and playing it like they're in a World Series-type atmosphere getting ready for that. So, to come out here and compete against those guys, it's huge.

"They're the best in the game and we are, too, and we want to get to where they're at. So, it's huge for me."

Gilmartin came back out for the ninth, with Mychal Givens warming in the bullpen, after stranding two runners in the eighth. Showalter kept him in a close game partially out of trust and also out of necessity.

"That was really kind of what we had," Showalter said. "We have to prepare for long. I've got their lineup for the second game and it's dominating right-handed, though he defends himself well against right-handers once he gets the changeup going.

"I've got to have Mike (Wright) and I've got to have a starter for tomorrow and I've got to cover Ramírez and a lot of other things. But Gilly's done well. They've got a bunch of neutral splits and reverse guys in that lineup, too, so he had as good a chance as anybody.

"Really didn't want to use Mike (Givens) there unless we had a close situation in the ninth. We had a couple plays that don't go down as errors that are really kind of errors which hurt us again, I thought."

Before the game reached the bullpens, both starters were engaged in a nice duel that swung in Houston's favor in the sixth. Bundy tried to keep up with Verlander, a former Rookie of the Year, Cy Young winner and Most Valuable Player.

"It's fun," Bundy said. "It gives you a little bit more adrenaline. Knowing you're pitching against that guy, you've got to bring your A game. So, just trying to keep us in the game and I was able to do that today and we tried to make a comeback there and just fell one run short."

Update: Ramírez walked Jake Marisnick with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth to give Houston a 2-1 lead.

Update II: Brian McCann homered with two outs in the sixth for a 3-1 lead.

Update III: Marisnick hit a two-run homer off Mike Wright Jr. in the eighth to give the Astros a 5-2 lead.