HEARTBREAKING LOSS
Anthony Santander slam rallies Orioles past Astros 7-5
Aug 23, 2024, 9:35 pm
Astros fall to the Orioles, 7-5. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.
Anthony Santander hit a grand slam off Bryan Abreu in the eighth inning, carrying the Baltimore Orioles to a 7-5 comeback victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night.
Baltimore managed only three hits and trailed 5-2 before rallying to end Houston's nine-game road winning streak. Colton Cowser and Adley Rutschman singled before Abreu (2-2) snagged a comebacker but was late trying to get Cowser leaning off third base, loading the bases.
Santander then ripped a 2-1 fastball over the right-field wall for his 38th home run of the season. It was his second slam this season and the fourth of his career.
Ramón Urías tacked on an RBI triple to cap the five-run outburst.
Craig Kimbrel (6-5) worked the eighth and Seranthony Domínguez got three outs for his fourth save since coming to Baltimore in a July trade with Philadelphia and fifth overall.
Jose Altuve and Jeremy Peña homered for Houston, and starter Hunter Brown pitched six innings of three-hit ball.
But all that was undone when Santander went deep in the eighth, saving Baltimore from what would have been its sixth loss in eight games.
The Astros were 10 games out of first place on June 18. Now they’re securely atop the AL West, but manager Joe Espada knows things can change in a hurry. “It feels good to be in this spot, but we’re not spiking the football,” the manager said. “There’s a lot of baseball left.”
TRAINER'S ROOM
Astros: Yordan Alvarez (.306, 25 HRs, 67 RBIs) was a late scratch with neck stiffness. He was replaced at DH by Alex Bregman, who was initially penciled in at 3B — his first game in the field since Aug. 14. Bregman has been nursing an elbow injury, which caused him to miss five games and could result in a move to 1B in the near future. “It's going to be a fluid situation,” manager Joe Espada said.
Orioles: CF Cedric Mullins left in the fifth inning with left quad tightness. ... 1B Ryan Mountcastle wasn't in the lineup after hurting his wrist while running the bases on Thursday.
UP NEXT
Houston lefty Framber Valdez (13-5, 3.20 ERA) looks to win his sixth straight start Saturday and improve to 9-0 since June 18. Albert Suárez (6-4, 3.18), who's had three straight scoreless outings, starts for Baltimore.
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Christian Walker homered in a three-run second, Ryan Gusto pitched well into the sixth and the Houston Astros beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Wednesday night to sweep the three-game series.
CHRISTIAN SKYWALKER. #BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/EZxbda3HT3
— Houston Astros (@astros) April 24, 2025
Walker led off the second with a home run to left off Bowden Francis (2-3), Yainer Diaz tripled and scored on Zach Dezenzo's RBI single and Yordan Alvarez capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.
Gusto (3-1) allowed one run on three hits with six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Gusto has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his three starts this season.
Bryan King pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, and Bryan Abreu threw a scoreless eighth.
George Springer walked, and Ernie Clement doubled with one out in the ninth, but Josh Hader struck out Alejandro Kirk and induced a flyout by Myles Straw for his seventh save.
Houston has won five of its last six.
Springer hit an RBI double in the fourth for the Blue Jays. They have lost five straight games.
Francis surrendered three runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. He has allowed three runs or fewer in four of his five starts.
Key moment
Hader striking out Kirk and getting Straw to flyout to center to end it.
Key stat
The Astros swept the Blue Jays for the first time since they swept a four-game series in Houston on May 14-17, 2015.
Final Thoughts
Julia Morales caught up with Walker after the game.
#Astros beat the Blue Jays 3-1
Christian Walker 2-4, HR & spoke with @JuliaMorales after the @astros WIN#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/MyRYdVwidH
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) April 24, 2025
Up next
Houston starts a three-game series Friday at Kansas City, with RHP Hayden Wesneski (1-1, 3.91 ERA) starting the opener. Toronto RHP José Berríos (1-1, 5.02) starts Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at the Yankees.
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