Alonso, Orioles Detonate STL With 9-Run Fifth, Win 13-1
Pete Alonso went 4-for-4 with a home run and 4 RBI as Baltimore dismantled St. Louis 13-1 on August 25. The Orioles scored nine runs in the fifth inning alone, turning a competitive game into a rout before most fans had finished their hot dogs.
The game cracked open in the third. Alonso launched a 435-foot shot to left center, scoring Taveras and Holliday to put Baltimore up 3-0. One batter later, Encarnacion-Strand went back-to-back with a 450-foot blast of his own — same zip code, different area code. That swing, Alonso's three-run homer, was the decisive moment: STL's home win probability dropped from 37% to 20% in a single pitch. Church answered with a solo shot to right center (405 feet) to make it 4-1, and for a moment it looked like St. Louis might hang around. That moment did not last.
The fifth inning was where this game stopped being a contest and became a statement. Baltimore sent 11 batters to the plate and scored nine runs without hitting a single home run — just relentless contact and a Cardinals pitching staff that had no answers. Mayo singled home Holliday. Encarnacion-Strand singled home Alonso and Henderson. A walk to Beavers scored Mayo. Taveras singled to right, scoring Encarnacion-Strand and Franklin. Holliday singled home Beavers. Alonso doubled home Taveras. By the time the inning ended, the scoreboard read 12-1 and the game was effectively a formality. Beavers added a run-scoring double in the sixth to close it at 13-1.
The story of the night was Baltimore's lineup top to bottom. Holliday went 3-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored. Taveras was 2-for-5 with 2 RBI and 2 runs. Beavers contributed 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. This wasn't a one-man show — it was a coordinated offensive assault. On the mound, Chris Bassitt handled the bulk of the work with 6.2 innings, allowing just 1 earned run on 6 hits with 5 strikeouts and zero walks. Anthony Nunez then came on and looked sharp, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings with 5 strikeouts on 1 hit. Baltimore's pitching appears to have been every bit as locked in as its offense, which is a troubling combination for anyone facing this team right now.