ST. LOUIS (AP) — Michael Siani hit his first career home run and drove in four runs, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-3 on Monday night.
Siani’s three-run homer into the right field bullpen capped a four-run fourth inning that gave the Cardinals a 5-0 lead. It was the first homer in 91 career plate appearances for Siani, who spent parts of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds before being selected off waivers by the Cardinals last September.
Sonny Gray gave up three runs, just one earned, in 5 2/3 innings as the Cardinals won for the sixth time in their last eight games. Gray (6-2) allowed three hits, walked two and struck out six.
Gray took a no-hitter into the sixth only to have it unceremoniously ended by a three-run homer by Gunnar Henderson to cut the Cardinals’ lead to 5-3. Henderson’s 417-foot blast to the left-center field bleachers scored Cedric Mullins and Jorge Mateo, each of whom reached on consecutive fielding errors by St. Louis shortstop Masyn Winn. It was Henderson’s major league-leading 16th of the season and his fourth in as many games.
JoJo Romero got the final out of the sixth after Gray surrendered hits to Ryan O’Hearn and Jordan Westburg following the homer. Romero pitched a scoreless seventh and John King and Andrew Kittredge combined for a scoreless eighth, before Ryan Helsley earned his 14th save in 15 chances.
Dean Kremer lasted just four innings, tying a season-low, as the Orioles lost their fourth game in their last seven. Kremer (3-4) allowed five runs on six hits, walked three and struck out two.
Siani singled home Nolan Gorman to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the second.
Winn ignited the four-run fourth with an RBI double to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games. Winn added an RBI single in the sixth to make it 6-3 Cardinals.
TRANSACTIONS
The Cardinals selected the contract of RHP Ryan Loutos and optioned RHP Chris Roycroft to Triple-A Memphis. St. Louis also designated 1B/OF Alfonso Rivas III for assignment.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: RHP Giovanny Gallegos (right shoulder impingement) is scheduled to throw another bullpen on Tuesday and RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm flexor strain) is scheduled to appear in back-to-back games Wednesday and Thursday as his rehab progresses at Double-A Springfield.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals will send RHP Lance Lynn (1-2, 4.17 ERA) to the mound against RHP Kyle Brandish (0-0, 2.63) on Tuesday night. Lynn settled in to work five innings after allowing four first inning runs in a loss to the Angels last Wednesday. Brandish earned his first career win in his only prior start against St. Louis on May 10, 2022.
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