HOUSTON — The Astros’ thumping of the Orioles this weekend at Minute Maid Park sent a warning to the rest of the AL that they have no intention of ceding their status as the AL’s powerhouse.
The momentum-boosting Astros, behind seven strong innings from starting pitcher Framber Valdez and four hits from third baseman Alex Bregman, outscored the Orioles 8-1 on Sunday afternoon, crushing a team that rarely gets swept for the third straight time. It was just the second time in the past 116 series that Baltimore had been swept.
“They’re a great team, great pitchers, but we swung the bat really well today and throughout the series,” said Bregman, who is 12-for-26 at-bats over the past six games. “I’m really proud of the effort and preparation of our guys. We’ve got to keep it going.”
Houston has won five straight games without star slugger Kyle Tucker, who is on the disabled list with a right shin contusion, and is 38-40 and in position to reach .500 by the end of its homestand, which ends with games against Colorado on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“I think energy and focus was the key. We came out with a good vibe and went out there and played,” said shortstop Jeremy Peña, who had three hits and three RBIs.
The team has been energized by rookie Joey Loperfido and versatile Mauricio Dubon’s everyday playing days, and manager Joe Espada has praised the team’s trade interest. On Sunday, Dubon completed a sacrifice bunt of his own and Yainel Diaz shortened his swing for a pair of sacrifice flies — minor stunts that could easily be overshadowed by hits or home runs.
The Astros had plenty of those moments, outscoring the Orioles 27-13 in the series without making an error, and were 11-for-31 (.355) with runners in scoring position.
“That’s Astros baseball,” Espada said. “That’s what we expect from our team: the energy, the attention to detail, the play on the bases, the defense, the pitching, the atmosphere. [Jose] “Altuve hit a home run on the first pitch. We did a lot of things well. This was the series we needed as a team going into our off day.”
After Houston beat the Orioles 14-11 on Friday despite allowing 18 hits, starters Ronel Blanco and Valdez held Baltimore’s high-powered offense to a combined two runs on Saturday and Sunday. Both pitchers allowed one run each in seven innings of work. Valdez, who is 6-foot-5, allowed six hits and two walks and struck out seven batters.
“This wasn’t our best,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “It was a weird game on opening night, and then the last two games we got beaten by two starting pitchers who pitched really well. Blanco was really good yesterday, and Valdez threw a 94 mph sinker and we just kept hitting the ball back into the ground. Give him credit. I thought he pitched really, really well.”
The Astros got all the offense they needed in the first inning, scoring four runs off Orioles starter Albert Suarez and sending nine batters to home plate. Altuve smashed Suarez’s first pitch over the left field fence for his 38th career leadoff homer, and Diaz, Peña and Dubon also scored RBI. Suarez threw 22 pitches in the first inning, striking out 18, and the Houston lineup swung at 15 of them without whiffing.
“Every take, every swing, every at-bat was intentional,” Espada said. “We had a game plan. We didn’t let our guard down. That’s our offense. It’s a dynamic offense that can beat opponents in a variety of different ways, and we proved that against some really good teams.”
Peña hit a two-run double in the sixth inning for the Astros, who have now won consecutive series against a team with a winning record for the first time this year. The Astros have closed the gap to the Mariners for the AL West lead by four games over the past five days and are six games back in the division at the midpoint of the season.
“I think we can use this series as a trampoline to get some momentum going,” Espada said. “You can’t get complacent after beating a team like Baltimore. We’ve got to keep going and I’m sure the guys there will be ready to go.”
