Orioles let Astros gain ground in 5-3 defeat

BALTIMORE (AP) The Orioles are falling in the AL East standings and letting the pack catch up for the final wild card.

Dallas Keuchel was solid through eight innings, Yulieski Gurriel got a hit in his major league debut and the Houston Astros beat the Orioles 5-3 in a rain-delayed victory Sunday.

The Astros won the last three games in the four-game series, outscoring Baltimore 32-13 over that stretch.

The slumping Orioles have lost four of five and are 9-16 over their past 25 games. They're 2 1/2 games behind Toronto in the division, and the Astros are among four teams within 3 1/2 games of the O's for the second wild card.

Mark Trumbo hit his major league-leading 37th home run, while Jonathan Schoop got his 19th homer for Baltimore.

''That's baseball. Sometimes you score, sometimes you don't score,'' Schoop said. ''We've got to keep in there, keep focused, keep bringing it, and it's going to come.''

Keuchel (8-12), last year's AL Cy Young Award winner, allowed two runs and five hits with seven strikeouts. Ken Giles picked up his third save despite allowing Trumbo's homer.

The start of the game was delayed 4 hours, 5 minutes because of storms. Another downpour at the end of the first inning prompted an additional 30-minute interruption. The Orioles were determined to play because it was the Astros' last trip to Baltimore this season and teams would have needed to use an off-day to play a makeup game.

''I don't know what would have happened if this wasn't their last trip in here,'' Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. ''We've gone down the road with playing on off days and stuff and that's a challenge. We're not the only team going through it. We both had the same conditions.''

Gurriel, a Cuban defector who signed a $47.5 million, five-year deal in July, singled in his first at-bat and went 1 for 2 with a walk as the designated hitter. He left the game in the eighth with right hamstring tightness and is day-to-day.

''I wasn't sure I was going to get my first hit that fast,'' Gurriel said. ''I will take care of (the ball) and put it away and put in a place that is very special.''

After missing the past two games with a groin issue, Jake Marisnick entered in the seventh, and his home run an inning later gave the Astros a 5-2 lead.

Carlos Correa went 2 for 3 with two RBIs for Houston.

The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a two-out RBI single by A.J. Reed. Schoop tied it later in the inning with his solo shot.

Houston put together a three-run fifth on an RBI single by Jose Altuve and a two-run double by Correa. Baltimore pulled within 4-2 later that inning when Nolan Reimold doubled and scored on a single by Adam Jones.

Baltimore's Yovani Gallardo (4-5) allowed four runs and seven hits over a season-tying high seven innings. Houston won the season series over Baltimore 6-1.

WEST COAST BLUES

The Orioles went 12-22 against the AL West this season.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman, who had his start pushed back three days because of shoulder soreness, said he felt fine after Saturday's game when he allowed six runs, six hits and five walks in two-plus innings.

MOVES

The Orioles recalled RHP Parker Bridwell from Triple-A Norfolk. He made his major league debut in the eighth inning and allowed the homer to Marisnick. Bridwell replaced RHP Odrisamer Despaigne, who was optioned to the Tides after allowing four runs in three innings Saturday.

UP NEXT

Orioles: Dylan Bundy (6-4, 3.36) has won three of his past four starts and gets his first start in the Beltway Series against the Washington Nationals in the opener Monday.