In an exciting comeback victory, the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Houston Astros 7-5 on Friday night. Anthony Santander played a crucial role in the win by hitting a grand slam off Bryan Abreu in the eighth inning. This marked Santander’s 38th home run of the season and helped the Orioles rally from a 5-2 deficit. Colton Cowser and Adley Rutschman set the stage for Santander’s heroics with singles to load the bases.
The Astros, who had been on a nine-game road winning streak, were unable to maintain their lead as Santander’s grand slam turned the tide in favor of the Orioles. Ramón Urías also contributed with an RBI triple as part of a five-run eighth inning.
The victory was secured with strong pitching performances from Craig Kimbrel and Seranthony Domínguez. The win comes at a crucial time for the Orioles, who were facing the possibility of their sixth loss in eight games.
The Astros, despite leading the AL West, are aware that the baseball season is unpredictable and are not getting complacent. Manager Joe Espada emphasized the need to stay focused with plenty of baseball still to be played.
In terms of injuries, Yordan Alvarez was a late scratch for the Astros due to neck stiffness, while Cedric Mullins left the game with quad tightness for the Orioles.
Next up, Framber Valdez will take the mound for the Astros in an attempt to secure his sixth straight win, while Albert Suárez will start for the Orioles after three consecutive scoreless outings.
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