Rutschman and Jackson hit grand slams and Orioles cruise to 10-3 win over Astros

BALTIMORE (AP) — Adley Rutschman and Jeremiah Jackson had grand slams to help the Baltimore Orioles cruise to a 10-3 win over the Houston Astros in the first game of a doubleheader on Thursday.

Chris Bassitt (2-2) pitched 6 2/3 innings for his longest outing of the season and allowed one run on seven hits. He struck one seven and walked one.

Rutschman fell behind Steven Okert 0-2 with one out in the fifth, but evened the count and hit a shot to left center. Center fielder Brice Matthews made a leap at the wall and the ball was briefly in his glove but fell out when he made contact.

In the seventh, with a run in on a bases-loaded walk, Jackson homered to left center off Jason Alexander to make it 10-1.

It was Rustchman’s third career grand slam and Jackson’s second, both coming this season. Jackson also had an RBI double and Rutschman added a single. It was the eighth time in St. Louis Browns/Orioles franchise history the team hit multiple grand slams in one game and the first since Steve Clevenger and Nolan Reimold in 2015.

Isaac Paredes had three hits each for the Astros, who have lost four of five.

The Orioles were hitless against Houston starter Peter Lambert until the fourth when Jackson’s two-out double down the left-field line scored Pete Alonso, who had walked.

Lambert (1-2) gave up two runs on two hits over 4 1/3 innings.

Baltimore’s Blaze Alexander started the fifth-inning rally when he challenged a strike-three call with one out. The strike call was overturned by ABS and Alexander doubled, ending Lambert’s afternoon.

Baltimore manager Craig Albernaz said before the games Thursday that left-hander Trevor Rogers, who was placed on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday, has the flu.

Up next

Houston RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (1-2, 6.75) faces Baltimore RHP Brandon Young (2-0, 2.53) in Game 2.

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