HOUSTON (AP) — Rookie Kyle Bradish pitched a gem, throwing eight strong innings before two relievers completed the four-hitter to lead the Baltimore Orioles to a 2-0 win over the Houston Astros on Friday night.
Bradish (2-5) limited Houston’s powerful offense to just a pair of singles and struck out six in the longest outing of his career to get his second win — first since May 10 against St. Louis.
Cionel Pérez allowed consecutive singles to Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman with one out in the ninth before retiring Kyle Tucker on a fly out. Dillon Tate took over and struck out former Oriole Trey Mancini to hand the American League-leading Astros their eighth shutout of the season and give him his third save.
Mancini went 0 for 3 with a walk in the first game against his former team since a trade last month after spending his entire career with the Orioles.
Ramon Urias provided the offense for the Orioles with a two-run shot off Cristian Javier (7-9) in the sixth to help them to their second straight win and the fourth in five games.
Lance McCullers Jr. allowed four hits across five scoreless innings in his third start of the season after missing the first four months of the season covering from a forearm injury he sustained in the playoffs last year.
Javier yielded three hits and two runs with four strikeouts in his return to the bullpen after losing his spot as a starter when the Astros went to a five-man rotation.
The Orioles had two on with no outs in both the second and third innings, but McCullers was able to get out of trouble both times with the help of double plays.
There were two outs in the sixth when Kyle Stowers singled to right field. Urias followed with a soaring shot to the seats in left field to make it 2-0.
Bradish walked Alvarez with one out in the fourth before allowing his first hit of the game on a single to Tucker with two outs that extended his career-high hitting streak to 17 games. But Mancini struck out to end the inning.
That was the first of seven straight Bradish retired before Bregman singled to start Houston’s seventh. Bradish got right back on track and sat down the next six batters to end his night.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: Utility player Aledmys Díaz (left groin discomfort) did some running Friday as he continues to recover from his injury. There is no timetable for his return.
UP NEXT
Houston’s Jose Urquidy (12-4, 3.63 ERA) opposes Baltimore's Dean Kremer (5-4, 3.45 ERA) when the series continues Saturday night.
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