Orioles hit 6 HRs in 13-5 rout of slumping Astros

BALTIMORE, MD -- J.J. Hardy and Chris Davis each hit two of Baltimore's six home runs, Hyun Soo Kim had a career-high four hits and the Orioles beat rookie Joe Musgrove and the skidding Houston Astros 13-5 on Thursday night.

Mark Trumbo and Manny Machado also homered to help the Orioles improve to 40-19 at home and climb into a second-place tie with Boston in the AL East. The 13 runs matched a season high, set June 1 against Boston.

Trumbo set the tone in the first inning with his major league-leading 35th home run, a three-run shot to left against Musgrove, who looked every bit like a 23-year-old rookie making his third major league start.

Musgrove (1-1) gave up eight runs and 11 hits - including three homers - over 5 1/3 innings.

Alex Bregman and A.J. Reed homered for the Astros. They have lost five straight.

Picked by Toronto in the supplemental first round of the 2011 draft, Musgrove began his big league career with a flourish - allowing only three runs in 19 1/3 innings. But this encounter with the power-laden Orioles lifted his ERA from 1.47 to 4.18.

After watching his pitching staff yield 12 runs and 17 hits over the first seven innings, Houston manager A.J. Hinch called upon infielder Tyler White to pitch the eighth. White gave up one hit: Davis' second homer of the game, the third in two nights.

Kevin Gausman (4-10) struck out eight in 6 2/3 innings for Baltimore, giving up five runs, four earned.

After Trumbo got things started for Baltimore by setting a career high in homers, the Orioles added two runs in the second inning and went up 7-2 in the fourth when Hardy homered with a man on.

Hardy chased Musgrove with another shot in the sixth, and Machado and Davis connected in succession off James Hoyt later in the inning to make it 12-3.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Astros: Luis Valbuena (right hamstring strain) made the trip to Baltimore, and Hinch said the infielder is "inching" toward a rehab assignment. ... The status of RHP Lance McCullers (sprained right elbow) remains unclear until he visits a doctor next week. "It's all guesswork at this point," Hinch said.

Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman (sore shoulder) threw off flat ground and "is ready to go" for his start Saturday against Houston, manager Buck Showalter said.

UP NEXT

Astros: RHP Colin McHugh (7-10, 4.70 ERA) starts in the second game of the series Friday night. He's 0-4 with a 7.65 ERA in his last four starts.

Orioles: LHP Wade Miley (7-10, 5.23) makes his fourth start since being traded from Seattle. The lefty is 0-2 with a 7.04 ERA with the Orioles.