Houston, TX — Baltimore rookie Brandon Young came within four outs of making franchise history Friday night, taking a perfect game into the eighth inning before a slow infield single ended his bid in a 7–0 Orioles win over the Houston Astros.
Pitching in his home state of Texas — just a short drive from his hometown of Lumberton — the 25-year-old right-hander was electric. Young retired the first 23 batters he faced, baffling a potent Astros lineup with a mix of sharp fastballs and breaking pitches. But with two outs in the eighth, history slipped away.
Ramon Urías, making his first appearance against Baltimore since being traded last month, broke up the perfect game on a softly hit roller down the third base line. The 56 mph grounder forced Young off the mound, but his off-balance throw to first pulled the first baseman off the bag. Urías was credited with a single — the only baserunner Houston would manage all night.
Unfazed, Young struck out the next batter to close out the inning. He finished with eight innings pitched, a career high, and matched his personal best with six strikeouts.
The Orioles turned to Yaramil Hiraldo to finish the job in the ninth, and he retired the side in order to seal the team’s first one-hitter since May 24, 2024.
It was a stunning turnaround for Young, who entered the night with an 0–6 record and a 6.70 ERA over his first 10 big league starts.
Baltimore Bats Back Young’s Gem
While Young was dominating on the mound, the Orioles’ offense steadily built their lead.
In the fourth inning, Colby Mayo broke the scoreless tie with a two-out solo homer off Houston starter Framber Valdez, who otherwise kept the game tight through the early innings.
Baltimore struck again in the fifth, cashing in after loading the bases. Gunnar Henderson delivered a sacrifice fly to score one, and a throwing error by Houston’s Jesús Sánchez allowed a second run to cross the plate.
Henderson added another RBI in the seventh, and in the eighth, Dylan Carlson launched a two-run homer to cap a three-run frame, giving the Orioles a comfortable 7–0 cushion.
Valdez (11–6) took the loss for Houston, allowing nine hits and four runs (three earned) over 6 2/3 innings. The Astros, now clinging to a half-game lead over the Mariners in the AL West, managed just a single baserunner all night.
Key Moment:
Urías’ slow infield single with two outs in the eighth ended Young’s pursuit of the first perfect game in Orioles history.
Key Stat:
The last Orioles no-hitter came on May 5, 2021, by John Means.
Up Next:
The Astros and Orioles continue their series Saturday.
Houston: RHP Jason Alexander (3–1, 5.02 ERA)
Baltimore: LHP Cade Povich (2–6, 4.95 ERA)
