BALTIMORE, MD – August 23, 2025 — The Houston Astros continued their offensive explosion on Saturday night, outlasting the Baltimore Orioles in a back-and-forth 9-8 victory at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The win secured a series victory for the Astros and was a much-needed continuation of their recent success.
This was a slugfest from the start, with both teams putting up runs early. The Astros got on the board in a big way in the first inning, hitting three home runs against Orioles starter Dean Kremer. Carlos Correa, Jesús Sánchez, and Victor Caratini all went deep, giving the Astros a quick 5-0 lead. The Orioles responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first, highlighted by a two-run single from Colton Cowser.
The back-and-forth continued throughout the game. The Astros added two more runs in the third inning on a two-run single from Victor Caratini, but the Orioles answered with two runs in the bottom half. The Orioles later tied the game at 7-7 in the fifth inning on a solo home run by Colton Cowser.
The Astros regained the lead in the seventh inning on a two-run home run from Christian Walker, his 19th of the season and third in three games. The Orioles managed to get one run back in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single from Jeremiah Jackson, but it wasn’t enough.
The Astros’ pitching was a bit of an adventure. Starter Cristian Javier, making his third start since returning from Tommy John surgery, struggled with command, giving up five runs (three earned) in just two innings. The bullpen, however, held on for the win. A.J. Blubaugh picked up the win in relief after pitching four innings. Bryan Abreu came in for the ninth inning and pitched a perfect inning to earn his third save of the season.
The win improves the Astros’ record to 72-58, putting them a half-game behind the Seattle Mariners in the American League West standings. The Astros will now look for the series sweep in the final game of the four-game set, sending Spencer Arrighetti to the mound against Orioles’ pitcher Trevor Rogers on Sunday.