Davis hits 38th homer as Orioles beat Astros 4-3
BALTIMORE — Chris Davis hit his major league-leading 38th home run, a two-run shot in the sixth inning that gave the Baltimore Orioles their first lead in a 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.
Davis had gone 10 straight games without a long ball until connecting off Lucas Harrell (5-11). Earlier, Davis extended his run of games with a strikeout to 23, the longest streak in Orioles history.
The slumping slugger came in with a .205 batting average since the All-Star break and hadn’t hit a home run since July 14. The drive off Harrell was his first extra-base hit in seven games.
J.J. Hardy hit a two-run single in the fourth inning to start Baltimore’s comeback from a three-run deficit. The Orioles got only three hits in winning for the second time in seven games.
Wei-Yin Chen (6-3) allowed three runs, seven hits and a walk in 7 1-3 innings for his fourth straight win. The left-hander had a season-high nine strikeouts.
Darren O’Day got two outs in the eighth and Jim Johnson worked a perfect ninth for his 36th save.
Jonathan Villar stole home and Robbie Grossman had three hits for the Astros, who are 2-9 since the break.
Bud Norris was scratched as Houston’s starting pitcher amid rumors he would be dealt before the non-waiver trade deadline of Wednesday at 4 p.m.
“You have a guy that has attracted a lot of interest from other ballclubs,” manager Bo Porter said. “It just made more sense to not risk injury at this juncture of the conversation.”
Making his first start since July 5, Harrell gave up only two hits but issued five walks — three of which turned into runs.
Chen retired the first seven batters he faced before running into trouble in the third. Three straight singles loaded the bases for Jose Altuve, who bounced a two-run single to left. With the bases full and two outs, Chen went to the stretch with his back toward Villar, who danced halfway down the baseline before breaking for home. He made it easily for a 3-0 lead.
Baltimore got two runs back in the fourth. After Harrell walked the bases loaded, Hardy got the Orioles’ first hit, a two-run single up the middle.
After Nick Markakis drew a leadoff walk in the sixth, Davis hit an opposite-field drive to left.
NOTES: The game marked the return of Astros 3B coach Dave Trembley to Baltimore. Trembley managed the Orioles from June 2007 to June 2010. ... Houston is 0-7 in Baltimore after being swept in 2005 and 2008. ... The Astros recalled RHP Chai-Jen Lo from Double A Corpus Christi and purchased the contract of RHP Josh Zeid from Triple-A Oklahoma City. RHP Hector Ambriz was optioned to OKC. Zeid made his major league debut in the eighth inning and got two outs. ... Former Oriole Erik Bedard is scheduled to take the mound for the Astros on Wednesday night. Miguel Gonzalez, who’s 5-0 at home, will start for Baltimore. ... Chen is 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in his four starts since returning from the disabled list on July 10.