'What a way to win your 100th game': Astros stage stunning rally

BALTIMORE -- In a thrilling back-and-forth affair with the feel of a postseason matchup on Saturday night at Camden Yards, the Astros finally found a way to beat the Orioles in this series.

Yuli Gurriel’s two-run, go-ahead single capped off a dramatic ninth-inning rally as Houston stunned Baltimore, 11-10, to capture its 100th win of the season.

Here is where the Astros stand:

Games remaining: 9
Standings update: Division clinched; 6 ahead of NYY for top seed
Magic number for home-field advantage: 4

The Astros trailed 5-2 in the fourth, 7-6 in the sixth and 9-7 in the eighth before engineering another dramatic comeback win.

"That was like a heavyweight boxing match,” said Astros manager Dusty Baker. “Nobody was going to give up. We got some big hits, they got some big hits. They were celebrating, we were celebrating. I’m just glad we won.

"We got some huge hits. We got some huge plays. We messed up a couple times. That was a strange game, but it was a hard-fought game. What a way to win your 100th game."

In the top of the ninth, facing lights-out Orioles closer Félix Bautista, the Astros managed to get three runners on base with one out, setting the stage for Alex Bregman, who beat out a potential double-play grounder to bring Houston within one run. Then, Kyle Tucker lined a dramatic RBI double to right field to tie the game at 9.

"Try and get a hit,” Tucker said of his approach against Bautista. “He has a good fastball, good splitter. I think it kind of helped that I saw him [in an] at-bat the inning before. He's a good pitcher. I was just able to get that splitter. He left it up a little bit.”

With the win, Houston became the first American League club to reach 100 victories four times over a five-year span (excluding the shortened 2020 season). Baker also became only the fourth manager to lead a team to 100 wins in both leagues, joining Whitey Herzog, Sparky Anderson and Tony La Russa. Baker also accomplished a 100-win season for the first time since 1993, when he managed the Giants.

"It hasn't sunk in yet,” Baker said of the elite milestone. “I didn't even know that until I got some texts from some friends this morning. I don't really keep up with too much of that stuff. I figure somebody is going to tell me. It has been a record-setting year in many ways. You just got a couple more records to go."

"[It is] extremely special. He deserves it,” said Bregman of Baker’s milestone. “He's such a great manager. He loves the game. He loves this team. He loves just coming to the field every day and competing. He has taught everyone here so much. We definitely love going out and competing for him."

The Astros’ success didn't come without some earlier drama. The Orioles’ offensive uprising ended Framber Valdez’s streak of consecutive quality starts at 25 games. The lefty set a new AL/NL single-season record and fell one quality start shy of tying the all-time record.

Valdez hung in for as long as he could, but he was unable to finish six innings for the first time since April 19 against the Angels.

"Today was just one of those days,” Valdez said through interpreter Jenloy Herrera. “I tried just giving my best, giving it my all and felt a little bit uncomfortable there on the mound, but those are things that we can work on. Things we can get better [at] and just continue moving forward."

The 11 hits allowed were the most Valdez had surrendered since allowing 11 to the Angels on Sept. 6, 2020. The four earned runs were the most Valdez had allowed since giving up six earned runs, also against the Angels, on April 19.

Though the Astros were able to pick Valdez up -- and 100 wins is a special milestone for any team -- Tucker said winning in the postseason is the most important goal, especially for a team with high expectations and aspirations.

“We made the playoffs, and that's kind of our goal,” Tucker said. “We try and win as many games as possible. The teams we face are pretty tough on us. If we get to 100 [wins], great, but our goal is to get to the playoffs and win and not just get 100 wins. As long as we play up the rest of the season and stay healthy, I think that's good for us."