{"id":830,"date":"2025-08-15T23:45:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T23:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsmediamvp.com\/?p=830"},"modified":"2025-09-04T12:53:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T12:53:21","slug":"brandon-young-nearly-perfect-as-orioles-blank-astros-7-0","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsmediamvp.com\/?p=830","title":{"rendered":"Brandon Young Nearly Perfect as Orioles Blank Astros 7\u20130"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Photo by John Steelman<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Houston, TX \u2014<\/strong> Baltimore rookie Brandon Young put on the performance of his life Friday night, coming within four outs of perfection in a dazzling 7\u20130 victory over the Houston Astros.<\/p>\n

Pitching just a short drive from his hometown of Lumberton, the 25-year-old right-hander was nearly untouchable. Young retired the first 23 batters he faced, carving through Houston\u2019s lineup with pinpoint fastballs and sharp breaking stuff. But with two outs in the eighth inning, history slipped away on a softly hit roller down the third base line.<\/p>\n

Former Oriole Ram\u00f3n Ur\u00edas, playing his first game against Baltimore since last month\u2019s trade, chopped a 56 mph grounder that forced Young to make an off-balance throw to first. The ball pulled the baseman off the bag, and Ur\u00edas was credited with Houston\u2019s lone hit of the night.<\/p>\n

Young didn\u2019t flinch. He struck out the next hitter to finish the eighth, closing his career-best outing at eight innings with six strikeouts. Reliever Yaramil Hiraldo handled the ninth, locking down Baltimore\u2019s first one-hitter since May 2024.<\/p>\n

It was a remarkable turnaround for Young, who had stumbled through his first 10 major league starts with an 0\u20136 record and a 6.70 ERA.<\/p>\n

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Photo by John Steelman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
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Baltimore\u2019s Bats Deliver Support<\/strong>
While Young kept Houston quiet, the Orioles\u2019 offense provided steady support.<\/p>\n

Colby Mayo opened the scoring in the fourth inning with a two-out solo blast off Astros starter Framber Valdez. Baltimore added two more runs in the fifth, one on Gunnar Henderson\u2019s sacrifice fly and another on a throwing error by Jes\u00fas S\u00e1nchez.<\/p>\n

Henderson drove in another run in the seventh, and Dylan Carlson broke the game wide open an inning later with a two-run homer as part of a three-run frame. The outburst gave the Orioles a 7\u20130 cushion, more than enough for Young\u2019s gem.<\/p>\n

Valdez (11\u20136) was tagged with the loss, surrendering nine hits and four runs (three earned) over 6 2\/3 innings. The Astros\u2019 offense, meanwhile, managed just one baserunner all night and now hold only a half-game lead over the Mariners in the AL West.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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John Steelman, on assignment for Four Point Zero Sports Media<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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