Tillman with the win, Cruz hits No. 20 as O's top Houston

Chris Tillman needed a good outing and the Orioles needed a win. They got both today as Tillman gave up just one run over 6 2/3 innings. The Orioles got back to the .500 mark at 27-27 and ended a four-game losing streak. They snapped Houston's seven-game win streak and denied the Astros their first eight-game streak since 2008. Nelson Cruz hit his 20th homer as the Orioles won 4-1 at Houston. He was once again a big part of an O's victory. He went 2-for-2 with a double, solo homer, sac fly and bases-loaded walk for a three-RBI day. By the end of May 2013, Chris Davis had 19 homers. As May 2014 ends, Cruz has hit 20. He also has 52 RBIs, breaking Davis' mark of 50 last season, which was the most by an Oriole by the end of May. During a 12-game hitting streak, Cruz is batting .476 (20-for-42) with six doubles, eight homers and 15 RBIs. He has hit eight homers his last 12 games and 10 in the last 17 contests. Tillman had allowed 14 runs over 6 2/3 innings in his previous two starts and had an ERA of 6.64 his last eight before today. But he held the Astros in-check, giving up just four hits with two walks and three strikeouts. It is Tillman's fifth quality start, and he is 5-2 with an ERA of 4.63. The Orioles are 9-3 in his 12 starts. Tillman had some defensive help today. Nick Markakis, who led off the game with a double and scored, made a nice running catch to end the second with the bases loaded. Left fielder Steve Pearce threw a runner out at second base. Houston starter Dallas Keuchel had pitched to an ERA of 1.05 over his last four starts and walked just one in 34 1/3 innings. However, today he walked three in a row in the fifth inning. The last two came to Pearce and Cruz with the bases loaded as the O's took a 3-1 lead. Cruz's homer in the eighth made it 4-1. It was a much-needed win, one that kept the Orioles from falling two games under .500 for the first time since they were 5-7. They had lost 13 of the previous 19 games. In the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Houston, Wei-Yin Chen (5-2, 4.50 ERA) pitches against Scott Feldman (3-2, 3.02 ERA).