Norris allows two home runs in first four innings (O's lead 3-2)

Outfielder LJ Hoes collected his first major league hit tonight off right-hander Bud Norris. Who knew that it would happen with Hoes playing for the Astros and Norris making his debut with the Orioles? Baseball is a funny game. Hoes lined a two-out single into right field in the top of the third inning after grounding out in his first at-bat. Norris gave up a home run to Brett Wallace leading off the second, giving Houston a 1-0 lead. Wallace jumped on a 93 mph fastball in his first career at-bat against his former teammate. Well, maybe they faced each other in an intrasquad game in spring training, but that's not official. Norris struck out the first two batters in the fourth before Marc Krauss hit a long home run to right field on a 91 mph fastball. Another no-doubter, this one increasing Houston's lead to 2-0. I've heard of Wallace. Krauss is another story. I have to keep checking my lineup sheet for first names. Norris gave up two home runs in three of his 21 starts with the Astros. He's threatening to establish a season high tonight. Norris has five strikeouts in four innings tonight. He struck out seven in three different games this season. In the finales of three-game sets that have decided the winner of a series this year, the Orioles are 4-2 at home and 5-3 on the road. They will be 4-3 unless they stop treating the Astros like the '27 Yankees. Update: Who thawed out the bats? The Orioles hadn't scored in 15 innings before tallying three runs in the bottom of the fifth to lead 3-2. Only one run was earned after shortstop Jonathan Villar's error. Henry Urrutia started the rally with another opposite-field single and Brian Roberts reached on the error, with the rookie hustling to third base as the ball rolled to shallow left. Nate McLouth and Manny Machado followed with RBI singles, and Nick Markakis' sacrifice fly to deep left-center field produced the go-ahead run. Markakis had one RBI in his last 22 games and none since July 19. Tonight's attendance: 17,909