(Photo credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images)

Dean Kremer twirled seven shutout innings, Jordan Westburg slugged a three-run homer as part of his fifth career four-hit game and the visiting Baltimore Orioles defeated the Houston Astros 12-0 on Sunday to claim the rubber match of their three-game series.

Kremer (9-9) continued his mastery of the Astros, surrendering three hits -- all singles -- while tossing a career-high 114 pitches. Kremer improved to 4-0 with a 1.47 ERA across five career starts against Houston, while the Orioles won with Kremer on the mound for the first time in six starts.

Kremer allowed a one-out single to Carlos Correa in the bottom of the first and a leadoff single to Yainer Diaz in the second, then retired nine consecutive batters before Victor Caratini walked to open the fifth. Kremer erased Caratini by getting Mauricio Dubon to roll into a double play, then notched three consecutive strikeouts.

After surrendering a leadoff single to Jose Altuve in the seventh, Kremer retired the next three Astros to complete his stellar outing. Kremer issued one walk and recorded seven strikeouts and posted 21 whiffs, eight on his splitter and another half-dozen on his cutter.

Astros right-hander Cristian Javier (1-1), making his second start following a 14-month injury absence, departed due to illness after allowing one run in three innings. The Orioles capitalized by pouncing on the Astros' bullpen, starting with a four-run uprising in the fifth against Shawn Dubin.

The Orioles opened the fifth with three consecutive singles against Dubin, which included Jackson Holliday driving in Dylan Beavers to increase the lead to 2-0. Westburg followed with his 15th home run, a three-run blast to right-center that upped the lead to 5-0 and chased Dubin.

Two innings later, Westburg added an RBI single as part of a two-run seventh that included a run-scoring groundout by Adley Rutschman. The Orioles sent 10 batters to the plate in their five-run eighth, tagging Jordan Weems with all five runs. Westburg had another RBI single in that frame, while Samuel Basallo added a two-run single for his first big-league hit.

Westburg finished 4-for-5 with a career-high five RBIs. Rookie Jeremiah Jackson posted his first three-hit game and scored three runs. Holliday recorded two hits and two walks and scored three times.

--Field Level Media