Orioles Crush Cardinals 13-1 Behind Alonso, Eight-Run Fifth

The Baltimore Orioles opened their series in St. Louis with one of their most complete performances of the season Tuesday night, pounding the St. Louis Cardinals, 13-1, at Busch Stadium.

Baltimore erupted for 16 hits, blasted two long home runs and broke the game wide open with an eight-run fifth inning. Pete Alonso led the charge with a perfect night at the plate, while Chris Bassitt gave the Orioles exactly what they needed on the mound.

The victory improved Baltimore to 64-68 and gave the Orioles their third win in four games as they continue trying to stay alive in a crowded American League Wild Card race.

Alonso Sets the Tone

Alonso was at the center of nearly everything Baltimore did offensively.

The veteran first baseman finished 4-for-4 with a home run, double, four RBIs and two runs scored. His biggest swing came in the third inning with the game still scoreless.

Alonso crushed a three-run home run off Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore, sending the ball an estimated 435 feet and immediately giving Baltimore a 3-0 advantage. It was Alonso’s 31st home run of the season.

Baltimore was not finished.

Just three batters later, Christian Encarnacion-Strand unloaded on another Liberatore pitch and drove it approximately 450 feet into the left-center-field seats. The solo shot extended the Orioles lead to 4-0 and was Encarnacion-Strand’s seventh home run of the season.

St. Louis answered in the bottom half when Nathan Church homered off Bassitt, but it would be the Cardinals’ only run of the night.

Orioles Explode in the Fifth

If the third inning put Baltimore in control, the fifth ended any realistic chance of a Cardinals comeback.

Jackson Holliday opened the inning with a single and Baltimore proceeded to send 13 batters to the plate during its biggest offensive inning of the season.

Coby Mayo brought Holliday home with an RBI single to push the lead to 5-1. Encarnacion-Strand followed with a two-run single, giving him three RBIs for the night and stretching the advantage to 7-1.

The Orioles continued to apply pressure.

Dylan Beavers drew a bases-loaded walk to force home another run before Leody Taveras delivered a two-run single. Holliday, batting for the second time in the inning, added an RBI single.

Alonso then capped his huge night with a two-run double that pushed Baltimore’s lead to 12-1.

By the time the inning finally ended, Baltimore had scored eight runs and completely overwhelmed the St. Louis pitching staff.

It was not simply a home run-driven attack. Baltimore consistently put together quality at-bats, moved runners and took advantage of opportunities with men on base.

The Orioles finished 7-for-16 with runners in scoring position.

Holliday Shines in St. Louis

Holliday also put together one of Baltimore’s best offensive performances.

The young infielder recorded three hits and scored during the massive fifth inning while playing in a ballpark with considerable meaning to his family.

Holliday’s father, former Cardinals star Matt Holliday, spent eight seasons in St. Louis and helped the Cardinals win the 2011 World Series. Members of the Holliday family watched Tuesday’s game from behind home plate.

Jackson Holliday responded with a strong performance as Baltimore’s lineup produced from top to bottom.

Baltimore Adds One More

The Orioles were not finished after the eight-run fifth.

Beavers doubled home another run in the sixth, extending the lead to 13-1.

Baltimore scored all 13 of its runs between the third and sixth innings. The 13-run performance matched the Orioles’ season high, while the 12-run margin represented their largest victory of the 2026 season.

Encarnacion-Strand finished with three RBIs. Beavers and Taveras drove in two apiece, while Holliday contributed three hits.

It was the type of balanced offensive performance Baltimore has needed more consistently this season.

Bassitt Dominates Cardinals

With the offense providing plenty of support, Bassitt made sure St. Louis never had an opportunity to get back into the game.

The right-hander allowed one run on six hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out five, walked nobody and improved to 5-4.

The only damage against Bassitt came on Church’s solo home run in the third.

Bassitt was making just his third start since returning following surgery to remove a bone spur from his back. Tuesday marked his first quality start since May 28 and matched his longest outing of the season.

More importantly for Baltimore, Bassitt showed excellent command.

Walking nobody while working into the seventh inning allowed the Orioles to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on the bullpen during the opening game of the series.

Anthony Nunez eventually handled the final two innings and kept the Cardinals off the scoreboard.

Alonso Removed Early

Alonso did not finish the game despite being only a triple away from the cycle.

With Baltimore holding a huge lead, manager Craig Albernaz removed Alonso after his fifth-inning double and shifted Samuel Basallo to first base.

Alonso has dealt with a calf issue, but Albernaz indicated there was little reason to keep pushing him with Baltimore leading by double digits.

It was a sensible decision during a game that was already essentially over.

Keeping Alonso healthy is far more important than allowing him to chase an individual accomplishment, especially with Baltimore still fighting for a postseason spot.

Orioles Make a Statement

Baltimore entered the night needing wins badly.

The Orioles have spent much of the season hovering around the fringes of the American League postseason race, making every series increasingly important as September approaches.

Tuesday was exactly the kind of performance Baltimore needed to begin this road trip.

The Orioles received power from Alonso and Encarnacion-Strand, production throughout the lineup, three hits from Holliday and nearly seven strong innings from Bassitt.

Baltimore also played clean baseball defensively and did not commit an error.

The Orioles scored 13 runs on 16 hits while holding St. Louis to one run and seven hits.

That is domination in virtually every phase of the game.

One victory does not erase Baltimore’s difficult stretches this season, but the Orioles remain close enough to the final Wild Card position that a late run could completely change the story of their season.

Games like Tuesday’s show what this roster can look like when the offense clicks at the same time as the starting pitching.

Baltimore will now look to turn one blowout victory into a winning streak as the Orioles continue their series against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

For a team fighting to keep its postseason hopes alive, there was no better way to start the road trip.