Astros beat O's 5-3 as Birds fall to 1-5 on homestand

For an Orioles team looking for a split of this four-game series, the Astros' half of the fifth inning was a problem. The Orioles made an error on one play and could not come up with another liner that led to two runs. The Astros scored three runs in the inning and went on to beat the Orioles 5-3 at Camden Yards.

Today's game, scheduled to start at 1:35 p.m., started at 5:40 p.m. after a rain delay of 4 hours and 5 minutes. There was another 30-minute delay after the first inning. It was a soggy and long day at Oriole Park.

With the score tied 1-1 to start the fifth, Teoscar Hernandez hit a slow roller to third muffed by Manny Machado for an error. George Springer single and one out later an RBI single by Jose Altuve made it a 2-1 game.

Shortstop Carlos Correa then lined one to the right-center gap and right fielder Chris Davis reached out. The ball caromed off his glove and was scored a two-run double as Houston took a 4-1 lead.

Earlier, down 1-0 on A.J. Reed's single in the top of the fourth, Jonathan Schoop's homer tied it 1-1 in the bottom of the inning for the Orioles. Schoop hit No. 19 on a 1-0 pitch and it went 409 feet to left center.

After the Astros went ahead 4-1, the Orioles got one back in the fifth. With two outs, Nolan Reimold doubled and scored on Adam Jones' single. Jones tried to advance to second on the throw home but was thrown out when he overslid the bag.

O's starter Yovani Gallardo probably deserved a better fate, but took the loss to fall to 4-5 with an ERA of 5.08. He went seven innings allowing seven hits and four runs (three earned) with three walks and strikeouts. He threw 103 pitches, 63 for strikes. He did provide the club a quality start, ending a run of eight games without one.

Right-hander Parker Bridwell, recalled today from Triple-A Norfolk, pitched the eighth and the ninth in his major league debut. He gave up a run in the eighth on Jake Marisnick's solo homer that made it 5-2. The Orioles pulled within 5-3 on Mark Trumbo's 37th homer in the last of the ninth.

Winning pitcher Dallas Keuchel allowed two runs and five hits over eight innings to go to 8-12 with an ERA of 4.76.

The Orioles missed a chance to gain ground on both Toronto and Boston after those teams lost today. They remain 2 ½ games out of first place at 67-56. The Orioles are 1-5 on this homestand, have lost nine of 13 and are 9-16 the last 25 games.

The Orioles will try to regroup tomorrow night when they host the Washington Nationals. On Monday night, in the opener of a home and home four-game series, Dylan Bundy (6-4, 3.36 ERA) faces right-hander Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 3.59 ERA).