The Orioles beat the Cardinals 8:7 in a regular-season game at Busch Stadium on Wednesday evening. The result extends Baltimore's momentum while adding another defeat to St Louis's recent tally. And here's the thing — the Cardinals had lost four straight before Tuesday's draw, but this one felt different from the start.
Both sides traded runs throughout the contest, with neither lead lasting long. The visitors took an early advantage, but the home side kept pushing forward. To be fair, the Cardinals showed more fight than in their last few outings, even if the scoreboard didn't quite reflect it.
The game drew a crowd of 42,187, a decent turnout for a late-summer evening. The visitors have now won three of their last five road games, while the hosts have dropped four of their last six at home. By then, you'd expect the pressure to mount on the manager if this pattern continues.
St Louis's recent run reads 1:13, 4:6, 3:12, 6:7, 10:9 — a mix of narrow defeats and heavy losses. Baltimore's form in reverse shows 13:1, 1:3, 3:2, 5:3, 1:6. One side is finding rhythm, the other is still searching for consistency.
The Cardinals remain in fifth place with 58 points, three behind the division leader. The Orioles sit third, four points clear. And here's the thing — these gaps feel smaller than they are when you watch the games unfold.