Jonathan Schoop tied a career high with four hits, including two home runs, as the Baltimore Orioles got a 15-7 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday afternoon. The 15 runs were the most scored by the Orioles since they scored 19 on June 16, 2015.
Schoop entered the contest by going hitless in his eight at bats prior to today, and things got off to a poor start defensively. Wade Miley walked Carpenter to start the game and the leadoff hitter would score on a Schoop error that went right though the wickets. It was Schoop’s eighth error on the season, which ties his career-high from last season.
The Orioles countered with runs in the first following back-to-back home runs from the bats of Adam Jones and Mark Trumbo. It was the fifth time this season the O’s hit back-to-back homers.
The scoring continued as Baltimore made quick work of Adam Wainwright with a six-run second inning. J.J. Hardy’s RBI double put the Orioles up 4-1, and Manny Machado hit his 13th home run of the season two pitches later to make it a 6-1 ball game.
Wainwright put runners at first and second once again in the inning after hitting Jones with a pitch and a Trumbo single. Trey Mancini drove them home with a RBI double of his own to get Mike Matheny to make the pitching change. Schoop singled Mancini home in the next at bat to give Baltimore a 9-1 lead.
Wainwright lasted 1 2/3 innings, allowing nine earned runs on seven hits, a walk and a hit batter. It was the first time he had ever faced the Orioles and it will not be a memorable one as it was also the first time in which he did not last at least two innings in a start.
Machado led off the bottom of the fourth with a double and scored two batters later on a wild pitch from Tyler Lyons. Schoop continued the onslaught with another two-run homer, his 12th of the season, for his third hit of the afternoon.
Paul DeJong hit a two-run home run in the fourth, his third blast of the season. It was his second home run in as many games. Yadier Molina added a solo home run in the fifth to cut the Orioles lead to 12-4, but was lifted for Eric Fryer after the inning.
Lyons pitched 3 1/3 innings in relief of Wainwright. He allowed three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out seven.
Asher came on in relief of Miley with runners at first and second and served up a three-run blast to center to cut the Orioles’ lead to 12-7. It was home run No. 12 for the outfielder who nearly made Baltimore his home following the 2015 season.
Schoop’s second home run and Hardy’s RBI double in the seventh made it 14-7 to finish the scoring. Baltimore tacked on the 15th run in the eighth inning on a passed ball from Matt Bowman.
“It has been fun to watch John because he has been pretty consistent with it,” Buck Showalter said. “That’s what makes you think he might be a chance to become one of those guys.”
It was another outing in which the Orioles starter failed to make it out of the sixth and opponents have scored five or more runs in 14 straight games, a club record. Miley has now given up six runs in each of his last two starts and it was the fourth time in his last six starts in which he gave up four or more runs.
Mychal Givens threw 42 pitches in 2 1/3 scoreless innings after Showalter used four pitchers to retire the sixth. Brad Brach pitched the ninth to preserve the Orioles win.
The two teams will square off tomorrow for the series finale. Ubaldo Jimenez (1-2, 6.71 ERA) will be on the mound for the Orioles, while Lance Lynn (5-3, 2.69 ERA) will take the bump for the Cardinals.
