Astros take combined no-hitter into 8th, rout Orioles 10-2

Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Linked Press

Jake Odorizzi pitched five exceptional innings in one more sign of progress just after his arm problems, and Houston gained its eighth straight match.

A no-hitter would have been great, but the Astros have a lot of other items to truly feel fantastic about.

Odorizzi and the Houston bullpen took a bid for a mixed no-hitter into the eighth inning Monday night time, at some point settling for a ten-2 victory about the Baltimore Orioles. Houston now leads the AL West by a match about Oakland, which shed at Texas.

The 31-year-outdated Odorizzi skipped much more than a thirty day period with a strained muscle in his ideal arm. This was his fifth visual appearance and fourth start because returning. He retired his first thirteen batters prior to strolling DJ Stewart on a full depend in the fifth.

“I’m pleased with the way I’m progressing,” Odorizzi said. “I knew it was likely to be a system. I caught to that system, and I truly feel much more and much more cozy every single time I’m on the mound.”

Maikel Franco strike a two-run homer with a person out in the eighth off Brandon Bielak, breaking up the no-hitter. Odorizzi and reliever Cristian Javier held the Orioles devoid of a strike via seven.

The start of the match was delayed by rain for an hour, and there was also a forty one-minute rain delay all through the major of the eighth. That arrived just after the groups played for a though in a driving rain, with puddles forming in the infield.

What a gorgeous strike. pic.twitter.com/E4tEZgWrWI

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) June 22, 2021

“This grounds crew — they look like they are used to rain delays,” Astros supervisor Dusty Baker said. “Every time I’ve been right here in a a few-day period, there is normally been a rain delay, so I give the grounds crew a great deal of credit for doing a excellent work.”

Bielak arrived on to pitch the bottom of the eighth for Houston. Following he strike Austin Hays in the again of the helmet with a breaking ball — just the next baserunner for Baltimore — Franco despatched a travel to deep centre discipline.

Earlier in Franco’s at-bat, Bielak appeared to have thrown strike a few, but he didn’t get the contact from plate umpire Angel Hernandez.

Stevie Wilkerson adopted with a one up the middle, and the Orioles completed with two hits.

Houston was seeking to pitch the seventh no-hitter in the majors this year. That would have matched 1990, 1991, 2012 and 2015 for the most because 1900, a person shy of the document 8 in 1884 — the first year overhand pitching was permitted.

In a year when pitchers have dominated — and on the day umpires started examining them for unlawful foreign substances — Odorizzi (2-3) didn’t seem the least little bit bothered. He struck out 9 and threw 86 pitches, a few shy of his year large.

The Astros threw the most modern mixed no-hitter in the majors, when Aaron Sanchez, Will Harris, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski blanked Seattle on Aug. 3, 2019.

There has only been a person no-hitter at Camden Yards in Baltimore. That was by Boston’s Hideo Nomo on April four, 2001.

Yordan Alvarez strike a a few-run homer in Houston’s five-run third inning. Keegan Akin (-3) permitted five operates in 4-additionally innings.

“It wasn’t pretty entertaining,” Orioles supervisor Brandon Hyde said. “We struggled offensively and gave up ten operates, and there was … the eighth inning with the rain.”

Comfortable MATCHUP

Odorizzi has absent five straight starts off in opposition to Baltimore devoid of making it possible for an acquired run.

“There’s a great deal of men I experienced by no means faced prior to tonight,” Odorizzi said. “I don’t know. At times you just do effectively in opposition to sure groups, sure mounds. I kind of get pleasure from pitching right here. It’s received a fantastic backdrop.”

TRAINER’S Place

Astros: Baker said he expects OF Kyle Tucker (health and basic safety protocols) will very likely be activated later on this 7 days. Baker also said RHP Bryan Abreu (remaining calf strain) is likely out on a rehab assignment this 7 days and RHP Josh James (remaining hip medical procedures) is as effectively.

Orioles: Baltimore put RHP César Valdez (reduced again strain) on the ten-day hurt record and recalled RHP Travis Lakins Sr. from Triple-A Norfolk. … OF Anthony Santander experienced the night time off. He returned a thirty day period in the past from a sprained remaining ankle, and Hyde said Santander has a tiny soreness.

UP Subsequent

Houston’s Zack Greinke (7-2) requires the mound Tuesday night time in opposition to Baltimore’s Jorge López (2-8).