BALTIMORE — Adley Rutschman and Jeremiah Jackson had grand slams to help the Baltimore Orioles cruise to a 10-3 win over the Houston Astros in the first game of a doubleheader on Thursday.
Chris Bassitt (2-2) pitched 6.2 innings for his longest outing of the season and allowed one run on seven hits. He struck one seven and walked one.
Rutschman fell behind Steven Okert 0-2 with one out in the fifth, but evened the count and hit a shot to left center. Center fielder Brice Matthews made a leap at the wall and the ball was briefly in his glove but fell out when he made contact.
In the seventh, with a run in on a bases-loaded walk, Jackson homered to left center off Jason Alexander to make it 10-1.
It was Rustchman's third career grand slam and Jackson's second, both coming this season. Jackson also had an RBI double and Rutschman added a single. It was the eighth time in franchise history the Orioles hit multiple grand slams in one game and the first since Steve Clevenger and Nolan Reimold in 2015.
Isaac Paredes had three hits each for the Astros, who have lost four of five.
The Orioles were hitless against Houston starter Peter Lambert until the fourth when Jackson’s two-out double down the left-field line scored Pete Alonso, who had walked.
Lambert (1-2) gave up two runs on two hits over 4.1 innings.
Baltimore's Blaze Alexander started the fifth-inning rally when he challenged a strike-three call with one out. The strike call was overturned by ABS and Alexander doubled, ending Lambert's afternoon.
Baltimore manager Craig Albernaz said before the games Thursday that left-hander Trevor Rogers, who was placed on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday, has the flu.
ASTROS 11, ORIOLES 5
BALTIMORE — Yordan Alvarez went 3-for-4 with his 12th homer and scored three runs as the Houston Astros beat the Baltimore Orioles 11-5 to split a doubleheader Thursday.
Lance McCullers Jr. (2-2) pitched six innings, allowing three runs and two hits. He struck out nine and walked four.
Cam Smith launched an early three-run homer and Yainer Diaz got three hits for the Astros, who finished with 15 to salvage the finale of the three-game series. Leody Taveras had a two-run double, and Isaac Paredes went 5-for-10 in the doubleheader.
Houston outhit Baltimore 27-12 in the twinbill.
The Astros sent nine batters to the plate in the first inning and jumped on Baltimore starter Brandon Young for five runs, two on a single by Dustin Harris and three on Smith's homer.
Alvarez, whose 13-game hitting streak ended in the opener, made it 6-0 with a solo homer in the second.
Houston batted around again in the fourth, adding four runs with the aid of three hits, two walks, a sacrifice fly and an Orioles error.
Young (2-1) allowed 10 runs — seven earned — and 10 hits over four innings.
Up next
Astros: RHP Mike Burrows (1-3, 6.25 ERA) starts Friday when Houston opens a three-game series in Boston.
Orioles: Had not announced a scheduled starter for Friday’s series opener at Yankee Stadium.
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