Brandon Young twirled seven strong innings, Leody Taveras delivered a critical two-run, two-out single and the visiting Baltimore Orioles completed a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros with a 5-2 victory on Sunday.
The Orioles extended their season-best win streak to seven games and have won 10 of 13. Young (8-2) produced his eighth quality start, while Taveras struck the decisive blow of an opportunistic attack bolstered by a multi-hit game from Coby Mayo that featured his 13th homer.
Astros right-hander Hunter Brown (1-1) labored throughout his sixth start since his return from a two-plus-month stint on the injured list. Brown hit two batters, including the second batter of the game, Taylor Ward.
Brown stranded baserunners in the first and second innings before the Orioles took advantage of his benevolence in the third. Jackson Holliday worked a leadoff walk in that frame, and advanced into scoring position when Brown uncorked a wild pitch to Gunnar Henderson, who followed with an RBI single that gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead.
Later in the third, Pete Alonso walked and swiped second as part of a double steal that saw Henderson steal home for a 2-0 lead.
Brown walked Colton Cowser in the fourth and Ward with one out in the fifth. He hit Alonso with a pitch and walked Sam Huff to load the bases with two outs for Taveras, who roped a first-pitch changeup to left for a 4-1 cushion.
Brown allowed four runs on three hits and a career-high six walks over 4 2/3 innings. He has walked 15 batters over his last three starts.
Young surrendered back-to-back doubles to Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez with one out in the third, as Altuve scored to pull the Astros to within 2-1. Young responded by retiring nine consecutive batters and 14 of the final 16 he faced. He allowed one run on five hits and one walk with seven strikeouts.
Mayo homered off Astros reliever Bryan King leading off the sixth and finished 2-for-4.
Altuve popped his 12th homer leading off the eighth against Orioles reliever Rico Garcia.
