Dylan Bundy throws well, but O's are a run short in series opener

The Orioles had gone 11 straight games without a quality start. They just lost three straight to the New York Yankees and gave up 32 runs in getting swept.

They could use a well-pitched game tonight. But could they get one against a surging and division-leading Houston Astros club? One that had won six in a row and nine of 10, and had scored 25 runs the last two games and 54 over its last six?

The Orioles did get a well-pitched game from starter Dylan Bundy, but the O's offense was pretty quiet as they lost 3-2 to Houston. The Orioles (38-77) have lost four in a row and are 2-6 on this homestand with two to go.

Bundy went six innings and gave up five hits and two runs with one walk and six strikeouts. He threw shutout ball after allowing two in the first. He falls to 5-12 with an ERA of 5.04. He delivered his seventh quality start tonight and the Orioles 28th. But the team is 7-15 in Bundy starts.

The previous 11 games without a quality start saw the O's rotation with an ERA of 7.47.

He fanned two in the first but also gave up a pair as Houston led 2-0. The Astros got a two-out RBI double from Alex Bregman and he scored on a Yordan Alvarez single. He worked the count to 3-2 after falling behind 0-2.

Meanwhile lefty Wade Miley was keeping the Orioles off the board. He pitched around Hanser Alberto's leadoff double in the first and stranded two in the third.

But Jace Peterson took him opposite for a homer to left-center in the fifth. He hit No. 2 on a 2-1 cutter to put the O's on the board and make it 2-1 in Houston's favor. The Astros went ahead 3-2 in the seventh on Jose Altuve's RBI triple off Shawn Armstrong.

The O's moved back within one on Stevie Wilkerson's solo homer off Joe Smith in the last of the seventh. He hit No. 9 on a 2-0 sinker. But Miley got the win, allowing one run over 5 2/3 and is now 11-4 with an ERA of 2.99.

Houston (76-40) has won seven in a row and 10 of 11 games. The Astros are 3-1 against the Orioles in 2019. They have their best 116-game record ever, bettering the 73-43 mark in 2018.