Orioles issue walks and score late runs in 9-7 win (updated)

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde spun his lineup again tonight in an attempt to find the right combination.

A group that can make plays in the field and generate runs. Perhaps run with an opportunity.

Locating strike-throwers also is on the agenda.

The shuffling in the rotation is happening now in the infield with the arrivals of Domingo Leyba and Ramón Urías. They started again tonight, with Urías at short and Leyba switching from second base to third base.

Slumps and health factor into it. So does Hyde's curiosity.

More auditions were held as the Orioles began their three-games series in Houston with a methodical 9-7 win over the Astros, made possible in large part by Austin Hays' tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth off reliever Brandon Bielak. A few other known keepers interjected in this marathon.

Leyba made a nice play at third base to start a double play, collected his first hit in 2021 with an infield single and chased down Kyle Tucker in a rundown after Urías' throwing error in the sixth. Urías had a run-scoring double in the ninth to extend his career-high hitting streak to eight games. Ryan McKenna singled and drove in a run.

Ryan Mountcastle singled, homered and had three RBIs, and Cedric Mullins recorded three more hits to increase his total to 94 and also stole two bases. But three walks issued by Orioles pitching in the fourth inning dissolved a 1-1 tie and four more in the seventh turned a 4-2 lead into a 4-4 tie.

The Orioles walked a season-high 10 batters, three with the bases loaded, and surrendered three runs in the ninth. But they defied the odds by regaining the lead and improving to 25-54 with their third win in 19 games.

"That's not the recipe to win against the Houston Astros or any other major league team," Hyde said.

According to STATS, the Orioles hadn't issued three bases-loaded walks since Sept. 24, 2008 against the Rays. The most since 1974 were five on Sept. 5, 2008 against the Athletics.

"We had a lot of walks," Hays said, "but we were able to make some good pitches when we needed to and get out of some tough situations, and they ended up leaving a lot of guys on base, and that was kind of the difference in the game for us."

Mullins led off the ninth with a single and Hays deposited a slider into the left field seats for his seventh home run. Mountcastle walked for the second time and the seventh in five games, McKenna singled and Pedro Severino lined a two-run double into the left field corner. He scored on Urías' double for a 9-4 lead.

"Keeping Austin Hays healthy and keeping him on the field is extremely important," Hyde said.

"I felt really good the last probably five games," Hays said. "My pitch selection has gotten a lot better, my at-bats have gotten a lot better. I'm staying within the zone."

Mountcastle delivered a two-run, opposite-field shot off Zack Greinke with two outs in the fifth for a 3-2 lead. Greinke rationed the Orioles to one run over 7 1/3 innings in his last outing, but surrendered three runs and eight hits tonight in five frames.

Cole Sulser inherited a bases-loaded, two-out mess from Thomas Eshelman in the fourth and walked José Altuve to give the Astros a 2-1 lead. Eshelman was charged with two runs and five hits in 3 2/3 innings in his rematch with the Astros. He was removed after 75 pitches.

Hunter Harvey stranded two runners in the sixth after replacing Sulser with one out, two hard-hit balls finding gloves. But Tanner Scott inherited two runners from Harvey with no outs in the seventh, struck out Yordan Alvarez and walked the next three batters.

Rule 5 pick Tyler Wells struck out both batters he faced after subbing for Scott to keep the score knotted. Paul Fry retired the side in order in the eighth and was charged with three runs in the ninth, but Adam Plutko notched the last two outs after he loaded the bases with, yes, a walk.

"Tyler Wells won us the game tonight, flat-out," Hyde said. "He was an emergency-only for me that this was an emergency."

The Orioles loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, soft singles again fueling a rally, and McKenna beat out a potential double play grounder for a 4-2 lead that didn't last.

Third baseman Maikel Franco sat tonight with his average at .206 and OPS at .613, able to collect only four hits in his last 31 at-bats. Shortstop Freddy Galvis is out for one to two months with a strained right quadriceps muscle. Second base has been unsettled since spring training.

Hyde reminds the new players and returnees of the "rare opportunity" that they're getting, saying it comes up in their conversations.

"You play well here right now, you're going to play. You pitch well, you're going to pitch," Hyde said this afternoon on his Zoom call. "It's not like that everywhere and it's been like that for a few years now. I think guys are very aware that this is a unique opportunity to be a major league player here right now."

Grasping and executing the fundamentals will score points with Hyde. Errors and other breakdowns have torn at his patience.

"It's making the routine play. That's something we harp on," Hyde said.

"Urías has been up and down with us, Leyba's obviously brand new to us. This is actually the first day we're going to watch him take ground balls. Yesterday, he didn't get in until late and then intake. The game was starting in an hour. McKenna and Leyba and Urías, there was a little bit of a rush before the game.

"When we become a good club, we're going to be a good defensive club, and we've got a long way to go in the infield and the outfield of being a consistent defensive club. But I think we work the right way, our messages are always good, we have really good coaching here, and now it's about the players taking advantage of the opportunity. And the players definitely get that message."

Eshelman allowed a leadoff double to Martín Maldonado in the third and walked Altuve on four pitches. Brantley grounded into a 1-6 force and Leyba fielded Yuli Gurriel's ground ball and started a 5-4-3 double play.

The outfield has undergone some tweaking, as well, with McKenna's return. He started in center field yesterday and in left field tonight. Anthony Santander and DJ Stewart joined the expanded bench.

Santander's left ankle apparently is improving, at least a little, but he's 16-for-80 (.200) this month with one home run, five walks and 22 strikeouts.

Hays isn't a concern with the glove. He drifted back tonight on Tucker's fly ball to right field in the second inning, leaped and robbed him of a home run. Hays smiled and Eshelman pounded his fist in his glove to applaud the effort.

Eshelman rushed to Hays in the dugout and hugged him after the inning.

Hays singled with two outs in the third inning and scored after singles by Trey Mancini and Mountcastle for a 1-0 lead.

Mountcastle has 32 hits and 24 RBIs this month to go with three doubles and nine home runs. Mancini was 0-for-14 and 4-for-40 before his single, and he produced another in the seventh after Hays' broken-bat single.

Tonight's homer gave Mountcastle 14 to tie Mancini for the team lead. His 45 RBIs are second to Mancini's 52.

Mullins singled to lead off the top of the first inning, about six hours after Phase 2 of All-Star voting began with him ranked seventh among American League outfielders. He stole second base and moved up with two outs on a wild pitch, but Mountcastle grounded out.

"Amazing game for Cedric," Hyde said. "This guy is playing just a great brand of baseball right now. So exciting, making things happen. And Ryan is just taking really good at-bats. His strike zone awareness is getting better every single day."

The Orioles were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position yesterday in Buffalo and 0-for-3 tonight after the first inning. They stranded four runners in the first three innings but managed to take the lead.

Severino led off the fourth with a walk and Leyba reached on a ground ball to short. He rounded first base, smiled and raised both arms to celebrate his first hit in 27 at-bats.

Urías grounded into a double play and Pat Valaika struck out to leave the Orioles 1-for-7 with RISP. And the lead was gone in the bottom half after Alvarez walked, Carlos Correa singled and Tucker flied out.

Robel García singled with two outs and back-to-back walks gave Houston a lead it quickly returned.

The first start for Eshelman against the team that drafted him six years ago was much rougher. He allowed six runs and eight hits over four innings Wednesday night in Baltimore.

Eshelman appeared to strand two runners in the fourth tonight, but plate umpire Kerwin Danley squeezed him with the count full to Maldonado and Sulser stepped into a jam. Another walk ensued.

There were more where that came from.

There ultimately was a win, as improbable as it seemed.

"It was a long one, but hats off to our bullpen for coming in there and having my back only going 3 2/3," Eshelman said. "Even though the walks happened, they definitely pitched their butts off and gave us a chance to win, which we did."