Baltimore, MD (SportsNetwork.com) - Steve Clevenger's RBI double in the bottom of the 10th inning gave the Baltimore Orioles a 5-4 decision over the Houston Astros in the middle test of a three-game set.
J.J. Hardy singled with one out and Clevenger followed with a hit into the left-field corner off Paul Clemens (0-1). Hardy raced around the bags, sliding in safely as the Orioles won for the fifth straight time.
Baltimore last won five straight from July 14-22 of last season.
"Going out there and competing I think has been huge for us," said Clevenger. "We're just trying to move the lien along as a lineup and let the next person do something behind you."
Miguel Gonzalez was charged with two runs on six hits with six strikeouts over seven innings of work for the Orioles in the no-decision. Ryan Webb (2-0) fanned two in a scoreless top of the 10th for the victory.
Adam Jones and Nelson Cruz each hit solo homers for the O's.
Houston starter Collin McHugh allowed two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.
George Springer hit his second homer of his young career, Jose Altuve knocked in two and Dexter Fowler added an RBI hit for Houston, which has lost seven of its last eight.
The ninth inning was long and eventful.
Down 3-2 in the top of the frame, Chris Carter singled off Tommy Hunter with one out and Marc Krauss followed with a double to right that put two in scoring position.
Marwin Gonzalez, who was a pinch-runner for Carter, was caught in a rundown in between home and third after Jonathan Villar grounded a pitch to second.
Altuve stepped to the plate and laced a single into center that plated pinch- runner Dallas Keuchel and Villar to push the Astros in front. Jason Castro flied out to right after an intentional walk to Fowler to end the inning.
Then the rain came and the game was delayed 55 minutes entering the home half of the ninth.
Coming out of the break, Anthony Bass quickly got the first two outs of the inning. Jonathan Schoop reached first on an infield single and Markakis kept the rally going with an opposite field hit.
Bass then walked Manny Machado and pinch-hitter Delmon Young chopped an infield single up the middle that tied the game at 4-4.
Adam Jones popped up the first pitch he saw and the game headed to extras.
"You got to be able to close games out," said Astros manager Bo Porter. "We had three guys with the opportunity to get it done and we didn't get it done."
Earlier, Springer crushed the first pitch from Gonzalez over the left-field wall to give the Astros an early 1-0 lead in the second.
Villar singled with one out in the third and moved up to second on the play as Jones misplayed the ball in center.
Villar then stole third during Altuve's at-bat, and scored one batter later on a Fowler single to left.
Jones cut the deficit in half with a drive to right-center field in the bottom of the sixth.
Baltimore tied it in the seventh, however, left two runners stranded in scoring position with no outs.
Hardy and Clevenger each singled to start the inning and Steve Pearce followed with a shot up the middle that loaded the bases.
With Schoop batting, McHugh unleashed a wild pitch that allowed Hardy to cross home and tie the game at 2-2.
Cruz pushed the hosts in front with a leadoff blast to center in the eighth that made it 3-2 before Hunter blew his second save of the season.
Game Notes
Nick Markakis extended his hitting streak to 17 games with single in first inning ... Houston was 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position ... Baltimore was 2-for-8 with RISP ... O's Chris Tillman will oppose Houston's Jarred Cosart in Sunday's series finale.
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