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Trey Mancini reached on all four plate appearances on Friday night in the Orioles' loss.

The Orioles' longest game of the year, Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros, was one they will quickly try to forget.

Center fielder Adam Jones¿ solo homer in the eighth off reliever Chad Qualls gave the Orioles a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros, ending their five-game losing streak and avoiding a four-game sweep on the first stop of a two-city, seven-game road trip.

There will be a lot of Tuesday morning quarterbacking today after last night's 5-2 Orioles loss at Minute Maid Park.

Ubaldo Jimenez walked off the mound with a one-run lead, but saw usually dependable reliever Brad Brach blow the lead and the Astros rally for a gut-punch four-run seventh inning, handing the Orioles a 5-2 loss.

This Orioles team is immersed in a month-long struggle to score runs. And a day after beating the Astros in Monday's series opener thanks to a pair of two-run homers, the Orioles bats continued to struggle in a 4-1 loss to Houston in front of an announced 21,541 at Camden Yards.

The Orioles saw first-hand on Friday afternoon how much former Orioles right-hander Jake Arrieta has progressed over the past year since joining the Chicago Cubs.

CHICAGO (AP) ¿ Jeff Samardzija thought he would dominate the way he often does. Instead, he walked away frustrated with another loss. Samardzija struggled in a rare rough outing and the Chicago Cubs lost 7-2 to Washington, completing a day-night doubleheader sweep on a rainy Saturday night.

Stephen Strasburg surrendered three hits over two innings -- including a single and home run to the first two batters he faced -- in his first action since Sept. 7.