The Baltimore Orioles turned an early offensive burst into an 8-7 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, holding on after surrendering six runs in the fifth inning. Baltimore scored five times in the first, added two in the second and restored its lead with a single run in the ninth. Christian Encarnacion-Strand led the attack with four hits, while Leody Taveras supplied three RBIs and the Orioles’ only home run.

Encarnacion-Strand went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and a run, producing a hit in four separate at-bats and giving Baltimore its most consistent presence in the lineup. Dylan Beavers added two hits and an RBI, and Taveras’ three-run contribution proved decisive in a game where every late run carried weight. Baltimore’s offense established control immediately, scoring five times in the opening inning before adding two more in the second to create an 8-1 advantage after two frames.

The Orioles leave St. Louis at 65-68 with a narrow win built on early pressure and enough late execution to withstand the Cardinals’ comeback. St. Louis falls to 66-68 despite three-hit games from Bryan Torres and Ivan Herrera and a six-run fifth that erased most of the deficit. For Baltimore, the result reinforces the value of converting early traffic into separation; for the Cardinals, the collapse before the fifth remains the difference between a comeback and a completed recovery.