jordan lyles

For the second time in as many days, the Orioles used some late-inning magic to extend the best record in the American League.

Bud Norris' whirlwind two days came full circle on the pitcher¿s mound at Camden Yards on Thursday night. A day after switching clubhouses following a trade-deadline deal that abruptly placed him in the unfamiliar uniform of a contender, Norris faced his old team and a lineup full of friends suddenly turned into foes.

Facing an ever-shifting cast of Houston starting pitchers over the past three days, it took the Orioles' bats a little time to warm up in taking two of three from the Astros.

Infielder Wilson Betemit (knee) will begin a rehab assignment in the Gulf Coast League on Tuesday, manager Buck Showalter said before Thursday¿s game between the Orioles and Astros. He hasn¿t played since suffering a Grade 2/3 tear of his PCL in spring training.