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Berkman powers Cards over Orioles

Jul 1, 2011 - 5:54 AM Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Lance Berkman hit two home runs, one from each side of the plate, and had three RBI as St. Louis took down Baltimore, 9-6, to complete a three-game interleague series sweep.

Jaime Garcia (7-3) earned the win despite allowing five runs on 10 hits and a walk through 5 1/3 innings.

Jon Jay added three hits, including a three-run homer, in the Cardinals' fourth win in seven games.

"The good thing about our team is we always go hard every day," Jay said. "As long as we keep on doing that, we'll be all right."

Fernando Salas tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 13th save of the year.

Brian Matusz (1-4) allowed a career-high eight runs on nine hits and a walk in just 3 1/3 innings for Baltimore. He has lost his past four starts, allowing at least four runs in each outing, and was sent down to Triple-A Norfolk after the game.

"I'm not getting it done up here. It's not fair for the team, every fifth day to go out there and make starts like this," Matusz said. "But it's just motivation to get down there, work with Mike Griffin, pitching coach, and get myself back to regular form."

Nolan Reimold smacked a three-run home run and knocked in four runs for the Orioles, losers in six of their last eight.

David Freese led off the second with a single and Yadier Molina worked a one- out walk before Tony Cruz sent a single up the middle, scoring Freese. On the play, Adam Jones' throw home was wide and Molina and Cruz moved up to second and third. Skip Schumaker then sent a sacrifice fly into right field to score Molina and give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.

Berkman added to the lead in the third by blasting a two-run homer into the left-field bleachers.

St. Louis kept the offense coming in the fourth when Cruz doubled down the left-field line, advanced to third on a Schumaker base hit and crossed the plate on a line-drive single by Ryan Theriot. Jay stepped up next and sent a ball just over the left-center fence, making it an 8-0 contest and ending Matusz's day.

Baltimore got on the board in the fourth thanks to three straight two-out hits. Matt Wieters and Mark Reynolds hit back-to-back singles before Reimold placed a 3-2 fastball into the outfield stands.

A Reynolds two-run homer in the sixth inning made it an 8-5 game.

But Berkman launched his second home run of the game in the seventh, this one a solo shot, to put the Cardinals back up by four.

The Orioles threatened in the eighth when Derrek Lee and Wieters led off the frame with consecutive singles off of Mitchell Boggs. A Reynolds flyout moved Lee to third and he scurried home on Reimold's broken-bat infield single, but Boggs got Robert Andino to ground into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Game Notes

Lee's single in the second inning was the 1,900th hit of his career...Schumaker extended his hit streak to nine games...Baltimore right fielder Nick Markakis extended his career-high and team season-high hit streak to 19 games with a 2-for-5 outing...With the win, Garcia improved his career record in June to 4-4. It is the only month in which he does not own a winning record.