The Orioles lead Major League Baseball in home runs this season and their power was on full display in the first inning of Friday’s home game against Collin McHugh and the Astros.
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Baltimore spent most of this season in first place but wasn’t able to shake the Jays or Red Sox and is now in the second wild card position in the American League.
Phillies 5, Dodgers 4: Maikel Franco hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh inning and Philadelphia beat Los Angeles.
The Baltimore Orioles slugged six homers in the series opener and look to continue their offensive assault when they host the fading Houston Astros on Friday night. They became the first major league team to hit four home runs before recording an out, and they still lost. Almost all of the damage came via the long ball, with Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo all leaving the yard in the first inning. However, that lead did not hold up as Houston rebounded with five two-outs runs in the second to knock out Miley and take a 6-5 lead.
“It was bad”, Miley said.
He wasn’t the only culprit. Baltimore didn’t have enough firepower in this one to overcome its poor pitching, which surrendered a season-high 15 runs and 18 hits.
“I think there was a lot of frustration there”, manager Buck Showalter said.
The Astros are 7-1 in their last eight Friday games, and 4-1 in their last five games versus a left-handed starter.
The second-year swing man came in to relieve Ubaldo Jimenez, who took the loss after throwing three innings in relief of shelled starter Wade Miley, in the fifth inning and permitted two home runs – to Jose Altuve and Evan Gattis – in the sixth to lengthen the Astros’ advantage. Trumbo is 3-for-5 versus McHugh, who is 1-0 with a 4.74 ERA in four starts against Baltimore after a no-decision on May 25 when he allowed three runs in 5 1/3 frames with 10 strikeouts.Miley is winless in three starts since being acquired from Seattle, permitting 13 runs (12 earned) on 22 hits over 15 1/3 innings. “I like to throw fastballs”, the right-hander said. “Today’s game in general was kind of a insane”. George Springer has hit 123 times with 86 runs, 23 homers and 68 RBI.
Astros: RHP Colin McHugh (7-10, 4.70 ERA) starts in the second game of the series Friday night. Hernandez added an RBI single, and Bregman’s run-scoring double made it 5-4.
Showalter doesn’t expect this defeat to linger with his team.
“Our guys turn the page very quickly, just like their team did before tonight’s game”.
Fantasy Impact: Trumbo hit his league-leading 35th homer on the night and is up to 88 RBI. And that’s going to happen from time to time. “I don’t know if frustration is the right word, but (they wanted to) get back to what we’re capable of doing”. Everyone is this room has dealt with it many times before. I’ll try to limit the downs, analyze things tonight.
The Astros optioned reliever James Hoyt to Triple-A Fresno and recalled Brad Peacock from the same club.
“It was really just pitch execution”, manager A.J. Hinch said. Washington has won 24 of 30 games in the rivalry since the start of the 2015 season.
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Orioles: OF Joey Rickard (thumb) won’t be ready to play when rosters expand on September 1, Showalter said.
