Win streak comes to crashing halt
Cardinals’ bats come to life in a rout that ends O’s three-game surge
ST. LOUIS — Juan Yepez homered and Miles Mikolas pitched seven strong innings, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 10-1 victory over the Orioles on Wednesday night.
Paul Goldschmidt drove in three runs for St. Louis, which ended a three-game losing streak. Brendan Donovan added a two-run double to the Cards’ 11-hit attack.
Baltimore (13-18) had its season-best three-game winning streak halted.
Yepez continued a sizzling start to his career. He has hit safely in all seven games since being called up May 3. He hit a homer in the second inning off Spenser Watkins (0-1) and has reached base in 13 of his first 25 plate appearances.
“There were a lot of people that didn’t believe in me,” Yepez, 24, said. “Now that they’re seeing me here, I say, ‘thanks to them for actually giving me more motivation to work harder.’ Being here is like proving them wrong.”
St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol is taking extra pleasure in Yepez’s success.
“Each at-bat is personal to him,” Marmol said. “You can tell that the kid has been told for a long time that this is impossible. He’s enjoying proving a lot of people wrong.”
Yepez’s seven-game streak is the longest by a St. Louis player to start a career since Magneuris Sierra hit in his first nine games in 2017. Yepez went 2-for-5 and is batting .444.
“If you told me this five years ago, I’d say,
‘you’re lying,’ ” Yepez said. “I was talking to my parents last night and they said, ‘Son, we’ve been crying so much this week.’ It’s a dream, a dream and a blessing.”
Yepez, who is 12 for 27, is the seventh player in franchise history to have 12 or more hits through his first seven games.
Mikolas (3-1) allowed one run on four hits. He struck out three and walked one. Mikolas has allowed two runs or fewer in all seven starts this season.
“I feel like I’m moving the ball around the zone, and keeping it down, making good pitches when I need to,” Mikolas said. “I’m keeping an even keel and not really deviating from the plan.”
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde felt Mikolas got better as the game went along.
“He got the lead and put it on cruise control,” Hyde said. “He’s got multiple pitches he can attack you with. Incredibly unpredictable.”
Donovan, who reached base in all four trips to the plate, capped off a threerun outburst in the second inning with a two-run double for a 3-0 lead. Goldschmidt highlighted a four-run fourth inning with a two-run double. He added a run-scoring single in the sixth.
Tommy Edman also drove in a pair of runs for the Cardinals.
Watkins gave up eight hits and seven earned runs in 3 ⅔ innings. He struck out three and walked two.
Even with the loss, Baltimore has won seven of 11 after a 6-14 start to the season.