The Baltimore Orioles found a much-needed spark from their stars and a fresh face on Sunday, as they held off the Houston Astros for a 3-2 victory at Camden Yards to avoid a sweep. Powered by home runs from Gunnar Henderson and Luis Vázquez, along with a dominant pitching performance from Trevor Rogers, the O’s snapped Houston’s momentum and added another notch in what’s shaping up to be a strong season.
Henderson wasted no time setting the tone for the afternoon, launching a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning off Houston starter Spencer Arrighetti. The blast marked Henderson’s 16th homer of the season, continuing his hot streak at the plate and energizing the Baltimore crowd early.
The lead held until the sixth inning when Ryan Mountcastle delivered a timely RBI single, extending Baltimore’s lead to 2-0. Mountcastle, who has been one of the Orioles’ most consistent bats, came through yet again in a crucial moment, helping build some breathing room for a team that had been held in check over the previous two games.
In the seventh, Luis Vázquez added a memorable moment of his own, crushing his first major league home run to deep left field. The solo shot gave Baltimore a 3-1 edge and ultimately stood as the decisive run of the game. For Vázquez, the homer was not only a personal milestone, but also a much-needed jolt for an Orioles offense that had struggled in the first two games of the series.
But the story of the day belonged to Trevor Rogers, who delivered another gem on the mound. The 27-year-old lefty continued his sensational run of form, tossing seven innings of five-hit ball, allowing just two runs (one earned) while striking out nine. He issued three walks but rarely found himself in serious trouble.
With Sunday’s outing, Rogers improved to 7-2 on the season and lowered his ERA to a dazzling 1.40 through 13 starts—moving ahead of Orioles legends Hoyt Wilhelm (1.50 ERA in 1959) and Jim Palmer (1.55 ERA in 1975) for the best mark through that span in franchise history. Rogers’ command, poise, and ability to limit damage have made him one of the league’s elite arms this year, and he proved again why he’s the ace of the staff.
After Rogers exited, the bullpen took care of business. Keegan Akin picked up where Rogers left off, striking out three over 1 2/3 scoreless innings to earn his third save of the season. Akin’s ability to bridge the gap without drama ensured there was no late-inning heroics from the Astros.
On the Houston side, Spencer Arrighetti fell to 1-5, despite a respectable performance. He gave up six hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings, striking out five. In relief, John Rooney made his major league debut and surrendered a run over 1 1/3 innings. Veteran closer Craig Kimbrel also made his Astros debut, striking out two in a scoreless inning, showing flashes of the dominance he’s been known for throughout his career.
With the win, the Orioles avoided a sweep and held steady in what remains a highly competitive AL East race. They’ll look to build on this performance as they head into their next series, knowing that when their stars show up—and young talent contributes—they can go toe-to-toe with any team in baseball.