Norris, Davis Lead Orioles To 6-3 Win Over Astros
BALTIMORE (AP) -- One day after being acquired from the Houston Astros, Bud Norris dominated his former teammates over six innings in his Orioles debut, and Baltimore got a home run from Chris Davis in a 6-3 victory Thursday night.
The only runs Norris (7-9) allowed were on solo homers by Brett Wallace and Mark Krauss. The right-hander gave up four hits, walked two, and his season-high eight strikeouts included three by cleanup hitter Chris Carter.
Davis hit his major league-leading 39th home run off Travis Blackley in the seventh, a solo shot that gave him 100 RBIs for the season. He is the 39th player in club history to reach the 100 RBI mark and the first since Nick Markakis in 2009.
Norris spent his entire big league career with Houston until Wednesday, when he was dealt to the Orioles for outfielder L.J. Hoes and a minor league prospect.
Because the Astros scratched Norris from his scheduled start against Baltimore on Tuesday, he was well rested before heading to the mound.
Eager to contribute to a contender after leaving a team with the worst record in the majors, Norris made a favorable impression in his first start. He had at least one strikeout in every inning and left with Baltimore ahead 5-2.
Jim Johnson worked the ninth for his 37th save.
Hoes got his first major-league hit, a third-inning single that snapped a 0-for-10 streak that began last year. He also got his first career RBI on a run-scoring grounder in the eighth.
But Houston blew a 2-0 lead and missed a chance to win its first series since June 18-20, against Milwaukee.
The Orioles took two of three from the Astros by cranking up their sputtering offense. Baltimore totaled only 15 hits in its previous three games and had gone eight straight games without reaching double digits in hits before getting 11 against Houston starter Jordan Lyles (4-5) and two relievers.
Lyles allowed five runs, three earned, and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings.
After Wallace connected in the second inning and Krauss homered in the fourth, Baltimore grabbed the lead with a three-run fifth. Henry Urrutia hit a one-out single and shortstop Jonathan Villar misplayed a grounder before Nate McLouth and Manny Machado followed with RBI singles. Markakis had a sacrifice fly.
Brian Roberts and McLouth hit run-scoring singles in the sixth to provide the Orioles with a three-run cushion.
NOTES: Davis ended his franchise-record run of 24 straight games with a strikeout. ... Houston 2B Jose Altuve was held out of the starting lineup to rest his sore left quad, manager Bo Porter said. ... Norris is the 14th pitcher to start for the Orioles this season, most since 1998. He is the 25th player to pitch for Baltimore in 2013. ... Porter announced his rotation for the weekend series in Minnesota: RHP Jarred Cosart on Friday, LHP Erik Bedard on Saturday and LHP Dallas Keuchel. ... Chris Tillman starts for the Orioles on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series against Seattle. He is 4-0 with a 0.98 ERA against the Mariners since they traded him to Baltimore in 2008. ... The Astros recalled Jimmy Paredes from Triple-A Oklahoma City. He started at 2B. ... Orioles CF Adam Jones turned 28 on Thursday. ... Houston's Robbie Grossman went 6 for 8 in the series.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
