By MATT PIKE
The St. Louis Cardinals losing skid moved to four games as Pete Alonso had four hits, including a three-run homer, and drove in four runs before leaving the game in the fifth, and the Baltimore Orioles routed the Redbirds 13-1 at Busch Stadium.
Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore allowed a season-high eight runs on eight hits in four innings while striking out seven and walking one, taking the loss and dropping to 5-12 on the season. The Orioles started the scoring in the third inning, hitting two home runs in the inning, with Alonso hitting a three run shot and scoring Leody Taveras and Jackson Holliday and Christian Encarnacion-Strand hitting a solo home run, his seventh of the season. In the bottom half of the inning, the Cardinal got their lone run with a home run of their own, a solo home run from Nathan Church.
Baltimore extended the lead with an eight run fifth inning to push their lead to 12-1. Coby Mayo drove in Holliday with the bases loaded on an RBI single and Encarnacion-Strand's single scored two more runs, bringing home Alonso and Gunnar Henderson. A bases loaded walk to Dylan Beavers added another run. Taveras scored two on a single, bringing Encarnacion-Strand scores and Christian Franklin across home plate, and another single from Holliday drove in Beavers.
In his second at bat of the inning, Alonso, who has been dealing with a nagging calf injury, left shortly after he contributed his fourth hit, an RBI double during to cap the scoring in the inning scoring Taveras. In the sixth inning, an RBI double by Beavers drove in Franklin for the final run of the game. At the plate, Church led the Cardinals going 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. Five other Redbirds had one hit on the night as St. Louis had seven hits.
St. Louis and Baltimore continue their series tomorrow. Michael McGreevy (5-9, 3.54 ERA, 95Ks) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Kyle Bradish (7-12, 3.70 ERA, 129Ks) for the Orioles. First pitch will be at 6:45pm, coverage will begin at 6:35 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).
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