Orioles Complete Sweep of Astros, Win Seventh Straight Behind Brandon Young’s Dominant Start
HOUSTON — The Baltimore Orioles are playing their best baseball of the 2026 season.
Behind another outstanding performance from Brandon Young, timely hitting throughout the lineup, and a towering home run from Coby Mayo, the Orioles defeated the Houston Astros 5-2 on Sunday afternoon at Daikin Park to complete a three-game sweep. Baltimore has now won a season-high seven consecutive games and heads into the next series with plenty of momentum.
The Orioles improved to 49-51, moving within striking distance of the .500 mark after what looked like a lost season just a couple of weeks ago. Houston dropped to 47-54 and has now lost four straight games.
Brandon Young Continues to Look Like an Ace
Every time Brandon Young takes the mound, he continues to strengthen his case as one of the biggest surprises in Major League Baseball this season.
Young improved to 8-2 after allowing just one run over seven outstanding innings. The right-hander scattered five hits, walked only one batter, struck out seven, and threw 95 pitches while consistently staying ahead in the count.
Houston threatened early, but Young never allowed the Astros to build any sustained offense. His ability to limit hard contact and work efficiently gave Baltimore exactly what it needed to finish off the sweep.
Grant Wolfram closed out the victory with a perfect ninth inning to record the first save of his Major League career.
Orioles Manufacture Runs Early
Baltimore once again found ways to score without relying solely on the long ball.
In the third inning, Jackson Holliday worked a walk before advancing on a wild pitch. Gunnar Henderson followed with an RBI single to open the scoring.
One of the most aggressive plays of the season came moments later. While Pete Alonso broke for second base, Henderson sprinted home on a perfectly executed double steal to give Baltimore a 2-0 advantage and completely catch Houston off guard.
The Astros answered with an RBI double from Yordan Alvarez after Jose Altuve doubled earlier in the inning, trimming the lead to 2-1.
Fifth Inning Breaks the Game Open
Baltimore took advantage of Hunter Brown’s command issues throughout the afternoon.
Taylor Ward drew a walk before Pete Alonso was hit by a pitch. Sam Huff then walked to load the bases.
Leody Taveras delivered perhaps the biggest hit of the afternoon, lining a two-run single that extended the Orioles’ lead to 4-1.
Houston simply could not overcome its own mistakes. Brown walked six hitters, hit two more batters, and constantly pitched from behind in the count.
Mayo Keeps Swinging a Hot Bat
Coby Mayo continued his outstanding offensive stretch in the sixth inning.
The rookie launched his 13th home run of the season, crushing a solo shot to right-center field that gave Baltimore a comfortable 5-1 lead.
Mayo finished 2-for-4 and continues to look more comfortable every game. His combination of power and improving consistency has become another important piece of Baltimore’s recent winning streak.
Astros Make One Final Push
Jose Altuve connected for a solo home run in the eighth inning against Rico Garcia to cut the deficit to 5-2.
That would be as close as Houston would get.
Grant Wolfram retired the Astros in order during the ninth inning to seal the victory and complete Baltimore’s sweep.
By the Numbers
Orioles
- Brandon Young: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
- Coby Mayo: 2-for-4, HR (13), RBI
- Gunnar Henderson: 1-for-4, RBI, run scored, stolen base
- Leody Taveras: 1-for-4, 2 RBI
- Baltimore drew seven walks while collecting six hits.
Astros
- Jose Altuve: 2-for-4, double, home run, two runs scored
- Yordan Alvarez: RBI double
- Houston finished 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Injury Watch
The lone concern for Baltimore came in the second inning when Samuel Basallo exited the game with right shoulder discomfort. The club has not yet announced the severity of the injury, and his status will be worth monitoring heading into the next series.
MSB Take
A week ago, the Orioles were searching for answers.
Today, they leave Houston with a seven-game winning streak and a three-game road sweep over an Astros team that entered the series fighting to stay in the American League West race.
The biggest story continues to be Brandon Young. Every outing strengthens the argument that Baltimore has found a legitimate front-of-the-rotation starter. His consistency has stabilized the pitching staff, and the offense is beginning to provide enough support to capitalize on those performances.
Equally encouraging is the continued production from young players like Coby Mayo and Jackson Holliday. Veterans such as Gunnar Henderson, Taylor Ward, Pete Alonso, and Leody Taveras are contributing in key situations, giving the lineup much better balance than it showed earlier this season.
The Orioles are still below .500, but at 49-51, that mark suddenly feels much more attainable. More importantly, they are playing fundamentally sound baseball—pitching well, taking walks, running the bases aggressively, and making the most of scoring opportunities.
If Baltimore can carry this momentum into its next series, the conversation may shift from simply climbing back to .500 to whether this club can make a legitimate push back into the American League postseason race.
