Jorge Mateo and Anthony Bemboom hit solo home runs as the visiting Baltimore Orioles edged the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 on Thursday.
The Orioles used a succession of relievers to win for the sixth time in their last eight games. Bryan Baker worked 2 1/3 scoreless innings to open the game, then Keegan Akin (1-0) followed by shutting out the Cardinals for 2 2/3 innings to earn the victory.
Felix Bautista, the sixth Orioles pitcher, got the final four outs to earn his second save in three days.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol shuffled his starting rotation, moving Steven Matz up one day in a switch with scheduled starter Jordan Hicks.
Matz (3-3) lasted 6 2/3 innings while allowing three runs on seven hits. He struck out seven batters and walked nobody as the Cardinals lost for the fourth time in five games.
The Orioles struck first when Mateo’s homer put them up 1-0 in the second inning.
The Cardinals loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Tyler O’Neill struck out in three pitches to strand the runners.
Nolan Arenado hit a two-out double in the sixth inning, but this Cardinals scoring opportunity died when Juan Yepez grounded out.
The Orioles expanded their lead to 3-0 in the seventh inning. After Bemboom hit his homer, Chris Owings hit a single. After Genesis Cabrera relieved Matz, Owings stole second base and scored on Cedric Mullins’ RBI single.
Dylan Carlson cut the lead to 3-1 with his homer off Cionel Perez in the bottom of the inning.
Brendan Donovan drew a leadoff walk off Joey Krehbiel in the eighth. After Tommy Edman hit into a forceout, Paul Goldschmidt lined a hit-and-run single that extended his on-base streak to 19 games.
Arenado’s sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 3-2. Goldschmidt stole second base and took third on a throwing error — but Bautista got Yepez to fly out to end the inning.
–Field Level Media
