The Baltimore Orioles fell 10-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals at Ed Smith Stadium on Friday in spring training play. Despite Ryan Mountcastle's 3-for-3 with an RBI effort at the plate, the Orioles could not overcome a sizable deficit. On the mound, Chris Bassitt turned in a solid outing, working 3.0 innings of scoreless ball with two strikeouts. The Cardinals out-hit the Orioles 13-12 on the day. The Orioles will look to regroup as spring training rolls on. There is still time to work through the rough patches before the regular season arrives, and the coaching staff will use today's performance as a learning opportunity.
Key Performers
Ryan Mountcastle was the key contributor at the plate, going 3-for-3 with an RBI. He put together quality at-bats throughout the game. It was the kind of day at the plate that suggests good things ahead for the Orioles offense.
Willy Vasquez chipped in, going 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI, Ike Irish added to the attack, going 2-for-2, and Blaze Alexander provided support, going 1-for-3 with a double. Despite the individual efforts, the offense could not generate enough sustained production.
On the other side of the diamond, Joshua Báez led the Cardinals offense with a 1-for-1 with a home run and two RBI day. Nelson Velázquez also contributed, going 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI. Yohel Pozo added a 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI effort as well. The Cardinals offense proved to be too much for the Orioles pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Chris Bassitt got the start, grinding through his innings, working 3.0 innings while allowing 0 earned runs on 1 hit with two strikeouts. He threw 43 pitches in the outing. His outing provided the coaching staff with another data point as rotation and bullpen decisions loom.
The bullpen combined for 5.3 innings of work, allowing 9 earned runs while striking out two. The relief corps kept the game within reach after the starter departed. Managing the bullpen workload is a key priority during the spring, and every outing helps the coaching staff gauge who is ready for high-leverage situations.
Among the relievers, Albert Suárez stood out with 2.2 innings of 7-run work, striking out two. The outing gave the coaching staff confidence in his ability to contribute this season.
How It Happened
Cardinals got on the board first with a run in the fourth inning. The Orioles answered with a run in the fourth. Cardinals responded with two runs in the fifth. Cardinals pushed across a run in the sixth. Cardinals plated four runs in the seventh. Cardinals added two runs in the ninth. The Orioles responded with a run in the ninth. The Cardinals were able to score in five separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Cardinals out-hit the Orioles 13-12, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 6,510 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
The Orioles will regroup and get back to work in their next outing. While the final score was not in their favor, the exhibition season is about building toward the regular season, and this game provided useful reps for a roster still taking shape. The coaching staff will review the performance and make adjustments before the next time out.