AP

Astros break through for 4 in 11th, slow O’s playoff push

Sep 25, 2022, 3:06 AM | Updated: 3:52 pm

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Clonel Perez, center, is congratulated by Gunnar Henderson after recoveri...

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Clonel Perez, center, is congratulated by Gunnar Henderson after recovering from being hit by a line drive in the leg to throw out Houston Astros Kyle Tucker in the eighth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Baltimore. Also pictured is manager Brandon Hyde and catcher Adley Rutschman. The Astros won 6-3 in 11 innings. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

(AP Photo/Gail Burton)


              Baltimore Orioles pitcher Clonel Perez, center, is congratulated by Gunnar Henderson after recovering from being hit by a line drive in the leg to throw out Houston Astros Kyle Tucker in the eighth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Baltimore. Also pictured is manager Brandon Hyde and catcher Adley Rutschman. The Astros won 6-3 in 11 innings. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)
            
              Houston Astros Trey Mancini is congratulated by Jeremy Pena after hitting a double against the Baltimore Orioles in the 10th inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)
            
              Houston Astros' Aledmys Diaz, right, greets Alex Bregman, left, after they cored on a single by Christian Vasquez against the Baltimore Orioles in the 11th inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)
            
              Houston Astros' Chas McCormick is tagged out by Baltimore Orioles second baseman Rougned Odor on a steal attempt in the third inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)
            
              Baltimore Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle follows through on a single against the Houston Astros in the fifth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)
            
              Houston Astros pitcher Christian Javier delivers against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

BALTIMORE (AP) — The last two games of the regular season at Camden Yards included playoff-like tension.

In that sense, they were an ideal tune-up for the Houston Astros, and a valuable — if painful — learning experience for the young Baltimore Orioles.

Christian Vazquez hit a bases-loaded single to cap a four-run 11th inning for Houston, and the Astros went on to a 6-3 victory over the Orioles on Sunday. The Orioles’ postseason hopes took another blow, missing a chance to move up in the AL wild-card standings. They remained four games behind Seattle for the third and final spot after the Mariners blew a nine-run lead in a loss at Kansas City.

Houston ended the regular season 51-30 on the road. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers (52-26) will finish with a better mark. The Astros salvaged the last two games of this series — both times in their last at-bat — after Baltimore shut them down in the first two.

“They wouldn’t go away,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “They got some big two-out hits, we got some big hits. … Now it’s time to go home.”

Keegan Akin (3-3) retired only one hitter in the 11th for Baltimore, and that was Yordan Alvarez on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly that put the Astros ahead 3-2. Akin then hit a batter with a pitch to re-load the bases and walked Kyle Tucker to make it 4-2. Vazquez’s two-out, two-run single off Joey Krehbiel put Houston up by four.

Cedric Mullins singled home a run in the bottom half, but that was all the Orioles could manage.

Hector Neris (6-4) allowed the Orioles to tie the game at 2 in the 10th, but he pitched out of that jam and got the win.

Dillon Tate retired the first two batters of the 10th for Baltimore, allowing Yuli Gurriel to advance only to third as Houston’s automatic runner. But he then threw a wild pitch that allowed the run to score.

With runners on second and third and one out in the bottom half, Rougned Odor hit a tying single. Neris then struck out Kyle Stowers and retired Jorge Mateo on a grounder to send the game to the 11th.

Cristian Javier allowed one hit in six outstanding innings for Houston. He struck out eight in his third straight scoreless outing and faced the minimum. He retired the first 13 Baltimore batters before a single by Ryan Mountcastle. That was the only baserunner Javier allowed, and Mountcastle was erased immediately on a double-play grounder.

“His fastball and slider I think is very electric, and is going to help out a lot for this team in the postseason,” said Vazquez, who was catching for the AL West champion Astros.

Javier exited after a 46-minute rain delay following the sixth. Will Smith pitched the seventh, but the Orioles tied it at 1 off Ryne Stanek in the eighth. Odor hit a two-out RBI single high off the wall in right, narrowly missing a two-run homer. Baltimore left the bases loaded that inning.

“Anything can happen,” Orioles starter Austin Voth said. “We’re right there. We’ve just got to come out tomorrow and keep fighting. This team has a lot of fight.”

Voth allowed a run and four hits in five innings. He struck out six.

Houston opened the scoring in the third on a sacrifice fly by Mauricio Dubon.

KEY PLAY

It may have been overshadowed given everything else that happened, but with runners on first and second and two outs in the eighth, Houston shortstop Aledmys Diaz made a diving stop on Mateo’s roller up the middle. There was no play on Mateo, but keeping the ball from going through prevented the Orioles from taking the lead, and the inning eventually ended tied at 1.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: INF Ramon Urias (neck) did not play.

UP NEXT

Baltimore heads to Boston for a four-game series starting Monday night, when Jordan Lyles (11-11) takes the mound for the Orioles against Connor Seabold (0-3). Baltimore is two wins from ensuring at least a .500 season.

The Astros are off Monday before hosting two games against Arizona. Lance McCullers (4-1) is expected to start Tuesday night for Houston.

___

Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Astros break through for 4 in 11th, slow O’s playoff push