HOUSTON, Texas — It was an afternoon to forget for the Houston Astros, who fell to the Baltimore Orioles 12-0 in the finale of their three-game series at Daikin Park. The lopsided loss was defined by an Orioles’ offensive explosion and a struggle on the mound for the Astros, whose starter left the game with an illness.
The game’s pitching plans were disrupted early when Astros starter Cristian Javier exited after just three innings due to an illness. He had allowed one run before being replaced by the bullpen. The Orioles quickly capitalized, with a four-run fifth inning highlighted by Jordan Westburg’s three-run homer off reliever Shawn Dubin. Westburg finished the day with a career-high five RBIs, as the Orioles went on to score five more runs in the eighth to put the game out of reach.
For the Astros, the offense was completely stifled by Orioles starter Dean Kremer, who pitched seven shutout innings. Houston managed only six hits, two of which came from Yainer Diaz, and was shut out for the second time in the series.
Amidst the disappointing result, there was one bright spot. After the Orioles’ eighth-inning rally, outfielder Chas McCormick took the mound and provided a brief moment of relief. He threw a scoreless ninth inning, saving the bullpen from further work on a difficult day.
With the loss, the Astros’ record drops to 69-55. The Seattle Mariners also lost today, which allows Houston to maintain a 1.5-game lead in the American League West. The final standings are as follows:
- Houston Astros (69-55)
- Seattle Mariners (68-57), 1.5 games back
- Texas Rangers (62-63), 7.5 games back
- Los Angeles Angels (59-65), 10 games back
- Oakland Athletics (56-69), 12.5 games back