BALTIMORE _ After giving up 16 home runs in the three-game series against the Yankees earlier this week, it was hard to imagine the Orioles doing anything truly surprising during the opener of the three-game weekend series against the Houston Astros on Friday night.
And yet, they did surprise, finally holding an opponent to fewer than two home runs in a game for the first time since July 25 and snapping their major league record string of games in which they allowed multiple homers at 14. It was also the first time O's pitchers allowed no home runs since July 23.
Not that it changed the narrative on this torturous 13-game home/road stretch against the Yankees, Astros and Red Sox. In spite of a solid performance by right-hander Dylan Bundy, the O's suffered a 3-2 loss before an announced crowd of 19,407 at Camden Yards.
Bundy pitched six innings and gave up just two runs on five hits against a very strong offensive team, but still came up short on a night he was matched against former teammate Wade Miley.
Miley, who gave up just a solo home run to Orioles left fielder Jace Peterson among the five hits he surrendered over 5 2/3 innings, has turned his career around since losing 15 games for the Orioles in 2017. He was 5-2 with a 2.57 ERA in an injury interrupted season with the Brewers last year and now is 11-4 with a 2.99 ERA with the Astros.
Bundy got off to a rocky start. He struck out slugger George Springer to start the game, but allowed hits to three of the next four batters and the Astros took a quick two-run lead. From that point on, he allowed just two hits and a walk before giving way to right-hander Shawn Armstrong.
The Astros scored their third run in the seventh on a leadoff single by Robinson Chirinos and a two-out triple by Jose Altuve. The Orioles then narrowed the deficit with their second homer of the game, a leadoff shot by Steve Wilkerson to right center field.
First baseman Chris Davis had a golden opportunity for some redemption in the ninth inning after his dugout dust-up Wednesday night with manager Brandon Hyde. Davis pinch-hit with two out and the potential tying run on first base, but flied out to end the game.
