Pair of three-run jacks help Astros hold off Orioles

Both Jeremy Pena and Christian Walker drilled three-run homers and the Houston Astros held on to defeat the host Baltimore Orioles 10-7 on Friday night.
Houston’s Victor Caratini smacked a two-run double and Pena rapped a run-scoring double in the eighth inning after the Orioles had rallied to pull within 7-6.
Jose Altuve and ex-Oriole Ramon Urias both had two hits for the Astros, who’ve followed a four-game losing streak by winning two games in a row.
Steven Okert (2-2) was the winning pitcher by notching one out in relief in the sixth. Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. pitched just four innings, allowing three runs on five hits and five walks. Bryan Abreu went 1 1/3 innings for his second save.
Colton Cowser and Vimael Machin homered and Jeremiah Jackson drove in three runs for the Orioles, who stranded 11 runners. Luis Vazquez and Gunnar Henderson had two hits each.
Baltimore starter Cade Povich (2-7) took the loss, allowing six runs (four earned) on four hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings.
Jeremiah Jackson had two hits, including a two-run single, and Alex Jackson had two hits and an RBI single for the Orioles.
Houston scored seven runs through five innings while collecting only five hits.
The Astros got on the scoreboard first. After a pair of errors led to the first run scoring, Pena delivered his 14th home run of the year for a 4-0 lead.
Walker, who also homered in Thursday night’s series opener, smacked his 18th homer in the fifth inning off reliever Yennier Cano with two outs.
The Orioles bounced back in the sixth with two runs, with Jackson Holliday’s fielder’s choice grounder and Jeremiah Jackson’s RBI groundout producing the runs.
Cowser’s solo blast in the seventh made it 7-6. Machin homered in the eighth for the game’s final run, though Baltimore had two runners on base when Cowser struck out to end the inning.