Orioles 6, Astros 3: Bud Norris defeated his former team after registering a season-high eight strikeouts and Chris Davis collected his major league-leading 39th homer and 100th RBI as host Baltimore won the rubber match of the three-game series.

Nate McLouth had a pair of run-scoring singles and Manny Machado and Brian Roberts each had one. Henry Urrutia had two hits and scored twice for the Orioles, who posted just their third win in nine outings to remain 5 1/2 games in back of first-place Boston in the American League East.

Traded on Wednesday, Norris (7-9) overcame solo homers by Brett Wallace and Marc Krauss to keep his former team at bay in his first start since July 24. The 28-year-old allowed four hits in six innings before giving way to Tommy Hunter, who allowed an RBI groundout to L.J. Hoes - who was part of the deal for Norris. Jim Johnson got the final three outs in the ninth for his majors-leading 37th save.

After being shut out 11-0 on Wednesday, Baltimore benefited from Houston shortstop Jonathan Villar's first error of the season to get its offense in gear. McLouth and Machado forged a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning with back-to-back RBI singles off Jordan Lyles (4-5) before Nick Markakis plated McLouth with a sacrifice fly.

Roberts doubled the advantage with a two-out single in the sixth before McLouth greeted reliever Travis Blackley by ripping a first-pitch cutter to right field. Davis tacked on an insurance run in the seventh by crushing a 2-1 changeup over the wall in right field.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Davis, who finished 2-for-4, did not strike out in the contest. He had fanned in a franchise-high 24 consecutive games. ... Lyles, who was last victorious on June 18, saw his winless stretch extend to seven games after permitting five runs (three earned) on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. ... Baltimore wraps up its nine-game homestand by beginning a three-game set with Seattle on Friday. Houston visits Minnesota on Friday for the first of three contests as it wraps up a 10-game trip.