BALTIMORE — With the bases loaded and the Cardinals clinging to a 5-4 lead in the fifth inning Monday night, manager Oli Marmol made the call to the bullpen.
As has been the case often this season, the move didn’t work.
Andre Pallante relieved Dakota Hudson and on his fourth pitch of the game, Cedric Mullins hit a grand slam that flipped the game and sent the Orioles to the win in the series opener in Baltimore.
Pallante also gave up another homer in the sixth, and in the eighth when the Orioles again had the bases loaded, Jacob Barnes was summoned from the bullpen and gave up a two-run single to the first hitter he faced.
The loss was the 81st of the season, meaning they will have to win their final 18 games of the year to avoid their first losing season since 2007, when they finished 78-84.
Here is how Monday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals built a 5-1 lead in the fifth inning, with three of their runs coming in the third inning on RBI singles from Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Jordan Walker … Contreras also singled in a run in the first inning and Alec Burleson’s single in the fifth inning drove in their fifth and what turned out to be their final run … Contreras had three of their 12 hits.
On the mound: Hudson was charged with seven runs, including the three runners he left on base in the fifth who scored on the grand slam off Pallante … The two runs that scored in the eighth were charged to Andrew Suarez, who allowed two walks and a single and left the bases loaded for Barnes.
Key stat: The Cardinals were playing their 10th game at Camden Yards, their first since 2017, and saw their streak with at least one home run end after their first nine games at the ballpark. They had a total of 21 homers in those nine games. This season, the Cardinals are now 9-34 when they fail to hit at least one home run, including a 3-20 mark on the road.
Worth noting: In his four games on the current road trip, Pallante has allowed five of six inherited runners to score … The Cardinals only extra-base hit was a double by Lars Nootbaar in the third … Two of the Cardinals’ minor-league teams, Class A Peoria and Class A Palm Beach, will begin their first playoff series on Tuesday night. Peoria will open a best-of-three series against Cedar Rapids while Palm Beach will play Jupiter, also in a best-of-three series … Double A Springfield has a one-game lead in its pennant race with six games left in the regular season. Victor Scott II has increased his stolen base total to 93 for the year, combined between Peoria and Springfield.
Looking ahead: Adam Wainwright will get another try for his 199th career win on Tuesday night in the second game of the series.
