Jackson Holliday hit a three-run, pinch-hit double in the sixth inning to lift the Baltimore Orioles to their second straight comeback victory, beating the visiting Houston Astros 3-2 on Saturday.
In a matchup of American League playoff contenders, the Orioles loaded the bases with two outs off Astros starter Framber Valdez, who was working on a shutout. Taylor Scott was summoned from the Houston bullpen, prompting Baltimore to send Holliday to the plate to hit for Emmanuel Rivera.
Holliday, a rookie, drilled Scott’s first pitch to center for a double, giving the Orioles a lead after they had trailed since the first inning.
Keegan Akin (3-0), who was activated earlier in the series, pitched one shutout inning of relief for the victory. Seranthony Dominguez worked the ninth with one strikeout to notch his sixth save.
The Orioles won Friday night, wiping out a three-run deficit on Anthony Santander’s eighth-inning grand slam.
Houston has lost just five of its last 17 games.
Jose Altuve led off the game with a homer, his 18th, and Jeremy Pena added a sixth-inning solo shot, his 14th, off Orioles starter Albert Suarez.
Valdez (13-6) was charged with all three runs. In 5 2/3 innings, he allowed six hits and one walk while striking out eight.
Valdez had won his previous five starts and had produced an 8-0 record across the past two months.
Suarez lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing both Astros runs on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
Adley Rutschman went 2-for-3 for Baltimore. His two-out double in the third that amounted to the Orioles’ only threat until the sixth.
Ben Gamel, acquired earlier in the week off waivers, had his second two-hit game for the Astros. He was their only player with more than one hit.
–Field Level Media