López gets into seventh, but bloop single stings Orioles (updated)

The perfect game and no-hit drama dissipated tonight just two batters into the bottom of the first inning after Freddy Galvis slapped a single into left field to beat the shift. Rain wasn't in the forecast. Umpires checking for sticky substances already felt like old news.

The Orioles moved on from their lopsided and waterlogged defeat. Each day presents a fresh start. A new opposing pitcher and the latest opportunity to begin spinning their season in the right direction.

Astros veteran Zack Greinke made his first appearance against the Orioles since 2010 and held them to one run in 7 1/3 innings. He wasn't going to cooperate.

Jorge López completed the sixth inning for the third time this season, but the Orioles' luck wasn't going to change.

Hunter Harvey replaced López after Chas McCormick reached on an infield hit with one out in the seventh, and the go-ahead run scored on Myles Shaw's bloop single in the Orioles' 3-1 loss to the Astros before an announced crowd of 8,510 at Camden Yards.

A ball that doesn't leave the infield torments. A ball that bounces in shallow right field and enables a runner to score from first base can decide the outcome.

McCormick was running on the pitch as DJ Stewart raced in and failed to make the diving catch. The ball rolled a few feet behind him, McCormick never broke stride, and the Astros led 2-1 and tagged López was a tough loss.

The only tag that was made.

A catch would have resulted in an easy double play, but the ball nicked Stewart's glove. The rookie gambled and won, sliding across the plate while Straw hustled to second base.

The Orioles are 23-50 and have lost 12 of their last 13 games. The Astros are 45-28 and winners of nine in a row and 17 of 22.

"He was stealing on the play anyway, and kind of a situation that if he stops, it's going to be hard for him to get back if I catch it," Stewart said on his media Zoom call. "He made a good play, a good read.

"I made an aggressive play for the ball, it hit off the end of my glove and a run scored."

Trey Mancini doubled off the center field fence to begin the bottom of the seventh, but Greinke escaped harm. Tanner Scott loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth and McCormick's sacrifice fly gave Houston a 3-1 lead.

Stewart led off the bottom of the eighth with a single, Greinke was removed with one out and Brooks Raley struck out pinch-hitter Anthony Santander and Cedric Mullins.

Greinke allowed five hits, walked one and struck out four to lower his ERA to 3.56.

"He's a master, he's a legend," López said. "I've been hearing his name since Puerto Rico. Following his career through that, it's been awesome to watch him pitch and how he commands, his mound presence. He's like a robot. He's a huge, huge, example to every starting pitcher."

"He's done this for a long time," said manager Brandon Hyde. "He knows how to pitch. ... That's why he gets paid a lot. He's been doing it for a long time."

López is only the second Orioles starter this month to complete six innings. John Means was the only starter this season to record an out in the seventh until tonight. López hadn't done it since Sept. 14, 2020 against the Braves.

López struck out four of the first six batters, the others collecting back-to-back singles in the first inning. Straw homered with two outs in the second on a fly ball that eluded Austin Hays' glove as he reached over the fence and bounced back onto the field. Ruled a double, the call was changed upon review.

Again, the Orioles don't catch a ball or a break.

No other runners crossed the plate while López was on the mound, but the game turned in Houston's favor as he sat in the dugout. He allowed five hits in 6 1/3, walked two batters and struck out six. Sixty-one of his 95 pitches were strikes.

"It felt really good," López said. "It gives me confidence. I worked with all my pitches. Changeup was really, really big today. Even the curveball, too. I didn't throw many sliders, but just pounding the zone and attacking guys and keeping focus on every single pitch."

"That was really good," Hyde said. "Going into the seventh inning there against their good lineup, a playoff-type lineup. Really happy with how he threw. I know he had a rough outing his last start, but I think he's making big strides. His stuff continues to impress."

Mullins tied the game in the third while being robbed of a hit on Straw's diving catch in center field. Pedro Severino walked with one out, Pat Valaika singled and Mullins was credited with a sacrifice fly.

Ryan Mountcastle singled with one out in the fourth, but Hays grounded into a double play on a ball he'd probably beat out if running at full speed on a healthy leg.

Hays has hit into three double plays in 43 games, compared to one in 54 games over the previous two seasons.

Cole Sulser replaced Scott in the eighth with the bases full and Abraham Toro grounded to Galvis, who threw home for the force. McCormick drove Hays to the track and the deficit grew.

Hays batted with two outs in the ninth after Mountcastle's opposite-field single and flied to center.

Note: Ofelky Peralta lasted only two-thirds of an inning at Double-A Bowie. He allowed four runs and four hits with three walks and threw 37 pitches, including 18 for strikes.

Adley Rutschman hit a two-run homer in the first, his 11th of the season.