Ward's Late Homer Lifts Orioles Past Astros

Taylor Ward of the Orioles scoring a run against the Astros

Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images

July 17, 2026

Orioles 3, Astros 2

The Baltimore Orioles defeated the Houston Astros 3–2 on Friday night at Daikin Park after Taylor Ward‘s go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning erased the Astros’ one-run lead.

Yordan Alvarez collected two hits and an RBI, Jeremy Peña reached base three times, and Peter Lambert turned in another effective outing, but the Astros left several scoring opportunities on the bases as the Orioles rallied late to open the series.

Astros – Orioles Game Summary

The Astros grabbed the early lead in the first inning after Peña drew a leadoff walk and scored on Alvarez’s RBI double into left field. Isaac Paredes followed with a single to put runners on the corners, but Dean Kremer limited the damage by striking out Christian Walker before inducing an inning-ending double play.

The Orioles answered in the third inning after Coby Mayo singled and later scored on Pete Alonso‘s bases-loaded walk. Lambert escaped further trouble by retiring Samuel Basallo with the bases loaded, keeping the game tied.

The Astros reclaimed the lead in the bottom half of the third. Peña and Alvarez both singled, Peña going first-to-third on the Alvarez hit, before Paredes lifted a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Peña for a 2–1 advantage.

Lambert continued to keep the Orioles in check through the middle innings. He worked around traffic in both the fourth and fifth, recording key strikeouts and allowing the Astros to carry the one-run lead into the late innings. The Astros also had opportunities to add insurance but failed to capitalize, including leaving the bases loaded in the seventh after Lucas Spence recorded the first hit of his major league career and both Peña and Alvarez drew walks. Paredes, batting with one out and the bases loaded, struck out looking before Walker popped foul to the catcher for the third out.

The game shifted in the eighth inning when Adley Rutschman opened with a ground-rule double. Ward followed by driving a two-run home run into left-center field off Bryan King, giving the Orioles their first lead of the night.

The Astros mounted one final opportunity in the ninth after Peña singled and Paredes walked with two outs. Nick Allen entered as a pinch-runner to represent the tying run, but Walker struck out swinging to end the game as the Orioles held on for the series-opening victory.

What Went Right for the Astros

Peter Lambert

Lambert delivered another effective performance, limiting the Orioles to one run across six innings despite navigating several traffic-filled innings.

The right-hander struck out ten and escaped multiple jams throughout his outing. He stranded the bases loaded in the third inning by retiring Samuel Basallo and did not allow an extra-base hit. His ability to limit damage kept the Astros in front until the late innings.

Alvarez and Peña Set the Tone Offensively

The Astros’ top of the lineup generated most of the offense.

Peña reached base four times with two walks and two singles, scoring both Astros runs. Alvarez finished with two hits, including an RBI double in the first inning, and also drew two walks. Paredes added a sacrifice fly to account for the Astros’ second run.

First Major League Hit for Spence

Lucas Spence reached another milestone in his major league debut by collecting his first career hit with a seventh-inning single.

What Went Wrong for the Astros

Missed Opportunities

The Astros created multiple chances to build on their early lead but could not deliver the hit needed to separate themselves.

They stranded runners throughout the game, including a bases-loaded opportunity in the seventh inning after Spence’s first career hit and consecutive walks by Peña and Alvarez. Walker and Paredes were unable to cash in, allowing the Orioles to remain within one run.

The Eighth Inning

The Astros carried a one-run lead into the eighth before the Orioles broke through against King. Rutschman’s leadoff ground-rule double immediately put the tying run on, and Ward capitalized with a two-run homer that flipped the game. The Astros could not respond despite bringing the tying run aboard in the ninth inning.

What’s Next

The Astros continue their series against the Orioles on Saturday at Daikin Park.

The Astros are expected to start Spencer Arrighetti (7-5, 4.50 ERA, 81 strikeouts). The Orioles are projected to counter with Trevor Rogers (6-7, 4.48 ERA, 69 strikeouts).

First pitch is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. Central.