Yuli Gurriel’s two-run single capped a four-run ninth inning and the visiting Houston Astros rallied past the Baltimore Orioles 11-10 on Saturday night.
Trailing 9-7, Houston loaded the bases against Baltimore closer Felix Bautista (4-4) with one out in the ninth. Christian Vasquez scored on Alex Bregman’s slow fielder’s choice grounder and Kyle Tucker followed with a double to right, scoring Jose Altuve.
Jake Reed replaced Bautista, but Gurriel greeted him by grounding a single to right that scored Bregman and Tucker.
Rafael Montero (5-2) got the win and Ryan Pressly picked up his 31st save, despite allowing Rougned Odor’s solo homer.
The Orioles had taken a 9-7 lead on Anthony Santander’s second homer of the game, a two-run shot off Montero in the eighth.
Altuve homered for the Astros (100-53), who had been shut out by Oriole pitching on Thursday and Friday.
Cedric Mullins also homered for the Orioles (79-72) and Ryan Mountcastle had three hits.
Houston’s Framber Valdez saw his string of 25 consecutive quality starts — the single-season record — end as he allowed seven runs, four earned, on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Valdez was looking to tie the longest such streak ever, a mark shared by the St. Louis Cardinals’ Bob Gibson (1967-68) and the New York Mets’ Jacob deGrom (2018-19).
Baltimore starter Mike Baumann allowed two runs on three hits over four innings.
The Astros took a 2-0 lead in the third. Mauricio Dubon singled and Altuve hit his 26th home run of the season.
With two men on in the Oriole fourth, shortstop Jeremy Pena’s error off Austin Hays’ grounder loaded the bases and Odor’s single to center scored two runs. Hays scored on a ground out and Mullins homered to make it 5-2.
Houston answered in the fifth, loading the bases against reliever Joey Krehbiel on two singles and a walk. Pena doubled home two runs and Cionel Perez replaced Krehbiel. Yordan Alvarez singled home a run and Pena gave the Astros a 6-5 lead, scoring on Bregman’s sacrifice fly.
Santander homered leading off the fifth, and the Orioles took a 7-6 lead on Mountcastle’s one-out single in the sixth.
Houston tied it 7-7 in the eighth when Alvarez walked and scored on Gurriel’s two-out double off Bautista.
–Field Level Media
