Game recap Astros 3, Orioles 2, 13 innings
O's waste good pitching with 19 strikeouts, 8 hits
Orioles starting pitcher Chris Tillman allowed two runs on three hits with three walks and five strikeouts in seven innings. ( Bob Levey/Getty Images )
HOUSTON — The Orioles' longest game of the year, Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros, was one they will quickly try to forget.
After seven standout innings by starter Chris Tillman and five more innings of lockdown relief, the Astros pushed across the deciding run in the 13th inning to end the action after 4 hours, 14 minutes of baseball.
Astros left fielder Tony Kemp welcomed reliever Dylan Bundy into the game to open the 13th with a triple to center field. Bundy intentionally walked the next two batters before shortstop Carlos Correa singled Kemp home.
Offensively, the Orioles did little with their four extra innings. They managed just eight hits in 13 innings, and struck out 19 times.
Tillman strong again:Tillman retired the first nine batters he faced on 28 pitches, and was cruising until a 36-pitch fifth inning. After the first two batters reached, Tillman induced a double play to prevent what could have been a disastrous inning. First baseman Luis Valbuena, the next batter, homered to give the Astros their only two runs off Tillman. Tillman then issued his second and third walks of the inning before getting a lineout to bring the Orioles back into the dugout.
Apart from that inning, only one Astro reached base against Tillman, who allowed two runs on three hits with three walks and five strikeouts in seven innings.
Big blasts: The Orioles' only runs came on — you guessed it — home runs. Shortstop Manny Machado's home run nearly cleared everything at Minute Maid Park, landing on the train tracks that overlook left field. Machado's home run tied the game at 2 in the sixth. Designated hitter Pedro Alvarez hit his third of the season in the fifth to open the scoring.
Eventful eighth:Darren O'Day relieved Tillman to begin the eighth inning, and after a quick first out, gave up a double to right fielder George Springer that eluded a sliding Mark Trumbo in right field and bounced off the top of his head.
Center fielder Adam Jones tracked down a deep fly ball for the second out, then Correa lined a ball right at second baseman Jonathan Schoop to end the inning.
Speed demon: The Orioles nearly stole the game in the ninth inning in an improbable way. After a two-out single by catcher Matt Wieters, he stole his first base since Aug. 3, 2013. He was one of three players left on base that inning. Wieters had another two-hit game to bring his average to .288 on the season.
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