BALTIMORE -- The Orioles are falling in the AL East standings and letting the pack catch up for the final wild card.Dallas Keuchel was solid through eight innings, Yulieski Gurriel got a hit in his major league debut and the Houston Astros beat the Orioles 5-3 in a rain-delayed victory Sunday.The Astros won the last three games in the four-game series, outscoring Baltimore 32-13 over that stretch.The slumping Orioles have lost four of five and are 9-16 over their past 25 games. Theyre 2 1/2 games behind Toronto in the division, and the Astros are among four teams within 3 1/2 games of the Os for the second wild card.Mark Trumbo hit his major league-leading 37th home run, while Jonathan Schoop got his 19th homer for Baltimore.Thats baseball. Sometimes you score, sometimes you dont score, Schoop said. Weve got to keep in there, keep focused, keep bringing it, and its going to come.Keuchel (8-12), last years AL Cy Young Award winner, allowed two runs and five hits with seven strikeouts. Ken Giles picked up his third save despite allowing Trumbos homer.The start of the game was delayed 4 hours, 5 minutes because of storms. Another downpour at the end of the first inning prompted an additional 30-minute interruption. The Orioles were determined to play because it was the Astros last trip to Baltimore this season and teams would have needed to use an off-day to play a makeup game.I dont know what would have happened if this wasnt their last trip in here, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. Weve gone down the road with playing on off days and stuff and thats a challenge. Were not the only team going through it. We both had the same conditions.Gurriel, a Cuban defector who signed a $47.5 million, five-year deal in July, singled in his first at-bat and went 1 for 2 with a walk as the designated hitter. He left the game in the eighth with right hamstring tightness and is day-to-day.I wasnt sure I was going to get my first hit that fast, Gurriel said. I will take care of (the ball) and put it away and put in a place that is very special.After missing the past two games with a groin issue, Jake Marisnick entered in the seventh, and his home run an inning later gave the Astros a 5-2 lead.Carlos Correa went 2 for 3 with two RBI for Houston.The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a two-out RBI single by A.J. Reed. Schoop tied it later in the inning with his solo shot.Houston put together a three-run fifth on an RBI single by Jose Altuve and a two-run double by Correa. Baltimore pulled within 4-2 later that inning when Nolan Reimold doubled and scored on a single by Adam Jones.Baltimores Yovani Gallardo (4-5) allowed four runs and seven hits over a season-tying high seven innings. Houston won the season series over Baltimore 6-1.WEST COAST BLUESThe Orioles went 12-22 against the AL West this season.TRAINERS ROOMOrioles: RHP Chris Tillman, who had his start pushed back three days because of shoulder soreness, said he felt fine after Saturdays game when he allowed six runs, six hits and five walks in two-plus innings.MOVESThe Orioles recalled RHP Parker Bridwell from Triple-A Norfolk. He made his major league debut in the eighth inning and allowed the homer to Marisnick. Bridwell replaced RHP Odrisamer Despaigne, who was optioned to the Tides after allowing four runs in three innings Saturday.UP NEXTOrioles: Dylan Bundy (6-4, 3.36) has won three of his past four starts and gets his first start in the Beltway Series against the Washington Nationals in the opener Monday. Dennis Smith Jr. Jersey .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Courtney Lee Jersey . 10 Texas A&Ms offence dominated as usual against SMU. https://www.cheapmavericks.com/ . There are surprises among the Vezina candidates, but most of the others are standard top-tier performers, even if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quite as good as they have been through the first half of the season. Dwight Powell Jersey . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. Steve Nash Jersey . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. ST. LOUIS -- Adam Wainwright struggled again. His defense struggled more.Wainwright struggled for the third time in his last four starts, giving up seven runs -- only two earned thanks to two key errors -- as the St. Louis Cardinals lost to the New York Mets 10-6 on Thursday night.However, Wainwright wasnt going to let his defense shoulder the blame.Its another game that we lose in which I start and the offense scores some runs, Wainwright said. I dont know what else to say other than Ive got to keep going.Cardinals manager Mike Matheny echoed the right-handers sentiment.I wouldnt say thats the whole story, Matheny said. We had a guy throw a good game against us and they capitalized on a couple, but thats a lot of runs that youre giving up that were hit hard. We made a good push and then hit some balls hard ourselves late and just not enough.Brandon Moss hit two home runs and Jedd Gyorko and Stephen Piscotty also connected as the Cardinals tried to chip away at a 7-0 deficit. St. Louis has hit seven home runs in its last two games and has a 14-game homer streak.Wainwright (9-8) lost his glove trying to tag out Yoenis Cespedes in a bizarre play leading to the Mets four-run fifth.Cespedes tried to go from first to third on a bloop single by James Loney. When several Cardinals chased the ball, Wainwright covered third base. Cespedes slid and his cleat pinned Wainwrights glove to the bag -- he wouldve been out, but when Wainwright pulled away his hand, the mitt stayed stuck under Cespedes foot.Because Wainwright didnt control the ball, Cespedes was called safe in a ruling upheld by replay. Moments later, Alejandro De Aza hit a three-run homer to make it 7-0.He said that when I pulled out the glove, I had to show possession, Wainwright said. I dont know what else I could have done there; there was another runner on base. Ive never seen it before, never heard of it before.De Azas fifth home run of the season came an inning after his two-run single gave the Mets a 3-0 lead. The five RBI is a career-high ffor the outfielder.ddddddddddddDe Aza also made a jumping catch against the center field wall to rob Matt Carpenter of an extra base hit in the first inning.He knows his role, Mets manager Terry Collins said. He doesnt have to like it, but he accepts it and he gets himself ready.Seth Lugo (1-2) pitched five scoreless innings for his first big league win. The Mets took two of three to win their first series at Busch Stadium since 2008.Lugo gave up two hits and struck out five to earn his first win since May 10 at Triple-A Las Vegas. On Tuesday night, Mets reliever Robert Gsellman also posted his first big league win.Together, Lugo and Gsellman helped the Mets win a road series from the first time since July 22-24 in Miami.Lugo left the game with right calf cramp while warming up before the sixth. By then, hed also gotten his first hit in the majors.I dont think we were upset to see him come out of the game, even though I hope hes not injured, Moss said. Im not saying that we got some life when he came out of the game and we made a go at it, but they just kept putting runs up.James Loney got three hits and scored twice for the Mets. Loney is hitting .529 (18 for 34) against Wainwright for his career.TRAINERS ROOMMets: OF Jay Bruce (calf) was out of the lineup after leaving Wednesday nights game with cramps. ... LHP Jonathon Niese (left knee) underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a meniscus tear.Cardinals: Matt Adams (right shoulder inflammation) began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Memphis. He batted second and hit a two-run homer Thursday for the Redbirds.UP NEXTMets: RHP Bartolo Colon (11-7, 3.36 ERA) will start off a 10-game homestand against Philadelphia. LHP Adam Morgan (1-7, 6.21 ERA) will start for the Phillies.Cardinals: RHP Luke Weaver (0-1, 5.00 ERA) will make his third major league start, facing Oakland. The As will counter with Ross Detwiler (1-2, 5.91 ERA). ' ' '
