BALTIMORE—The Orioles returned from a successful road trip and began a seven-game homestand that will conclude with four games against the Tampa Bay Rays, against whom they’re competing for the American League East title.
The Orioles moved closer to clinching a playoff bid, cutting their magic number to four with an 11-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals before an announced crowd of 15,485 at Camden Yards on Monday night.
Cedric Mullins’ grand slam keyed a five-run fifth. Gunnar Henderson homered in the sixth, his 25th.
The Orioles have scored 10 or more runs in four of their last five games.
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Oriole starter Dean Kremer allowed five runs on seven hits, walking four and striking out two in 4 1/3 innings.
DL Hall (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning.
Kremer allowed lots of soft contact, and his four walks equaled a season high.
The Orioles (91-52) scored two runs in the second. The first scored when Aaron Hicks, who had singled, tried to take second after Mullins, who also had singled against St. Louis starter Dakota Hudson (6-2), took third. Third baseman Nolan Arenado’s throw was wild, and Mullins scored. Ramón Urias’ single scored Hicks.
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That gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead but St. Louis (63-81) scored three in the third and one in the fifth against Kremer to take a 5-3 lead.
Adam Frazier’s single scored a run in the fourth, and Ryan O’Hearn’s double in the fifth made it 5-4.
Ryan Mountcastle walked to load the bases, and Andre Pallante replaced Hudson. Mullins’ homer was his 14th of the season, and the third grand slam of his career.
Hall, Jacob Webb, Jorge López, Danny Coulombe and Shintaro Fujinami combined to hold the Cardinals scoreless for 4 2/3 innings. Leftfielder Austin Hays made a diving catch with two runners on in the eighth to prevent St. Louis from coming closer.
Hays added a two-run single in the eighth to give the Orioles an 11-5 lead.
The win enabled the Orioles to avoid being swept for the 86th consecutive series, the fourth-longest streak in baseball history.
Follow Rich Dubroff on Twitter @RichDubroffMLB