Cardinals 8 - 3 Orioles
Final
  for this game

Homer-happy O's have brooms ready for Cardinals

Aug 10, 2014 - 12:56 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Baltimore Orioles have been on a power surge of late and target a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards.

Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph has been especially hot with a home run in five straight games and went deep in Saturday's 10-3 pounding of the Cardinals. Nelson Cruz and Delmon Young also homered and Manny Machado provided three hits and an RBI for Baltimore, which has won three straight and 12 of the past 16 games.

The Orioles, who clubbed six homers in Friday's win, pounded out 16 hits and the power surge made a winner out of Ubaldo Jimenez. The right-hander came off the disabled list to throw six innings and allowed three runs and six hits with five strikeouts and three walks.

Baltimore is six games ahead of both the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East lead and is 24-10 since July 1.

"We understand the number of games left and the opportunity that we have," said Orioles manager Buck Showalter. "I don't think the guys are going to let a day pass without getting closer to our goal."

Baltimore leads the majors with 147 home runs and is 33-10 when hitting more than one home run in a game this season. The club is also 13-4 at Camden Yards since June 30, and 17 of the 22 runs scored versus the Cardinals have come via home run. The Orioles have scored nine or more runs in three of the last five games.

As for Joseph, he is batting .444 during the homer streak and has nine RBI in 12 games since July 22. The last Oriole to homer in at least five consecutive games was Chris Davis, who tied the club mark by hitting a home run in six straight games from Sept. 26 - Oct. 2, 2012.

After this series with St. Louis, the O's will welcome the Yankees to town for three games. They have won seven consecutive series.

Kevin Gausman gets the start for Baltimore Sunday and he is 6-3 with a 3.77 earned run average. He has won back-to-back starts and is 3-1 in his previous four decisions, including a 7-3 victory at Washington on Monday. Gausman allowed three runs in six innings.

Gausman, a right-hander, is 4-2 in six home starts this season and will face the Cardinals for the first time.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals have lost three of four games since winning three straight and newcomer John Lackey was roughed up for nine runs and 13 hits (3 homers) across five innings on Saturday. It was his second start for the Cards since coming over in a trade with Boston.

"John went out there and worked and fought to try and keep us in it," said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. "Just another one of those days."

Jon Jay homered, Daniel Descalso went 3-for-3 and Jhonny Peralta finished with a pair of hits, an RBI and a run scored for St. Louis, which fell three games behind Milwaukee for the NL Central lead. Jay had gone 84 games and 246 at- bats without a home run.

The Cardinals will visit Miami next for three games and hope Lance Lynn can salvage this set at Camden Yards Sunday. Lynn is 11-8 with a 2.89 ERA, but is winless (0-2) in his past three trips to the hill. Lynn did not record a decision in Tuesday's 3-2 win over Boston, as he permitted just two runs (1 earned) and four hits in seven innings.

Lynn has allowed only one earned run in each of his past three outings. He will make his first start against the Orioles and faced them once before in relief. The righty is 4-5 in 10 road starts this season.

The Cardinals are facing the Orioles for the first time since sweeping a three-game set in Baltimore in 2011. Baltimore is 9-4 against the National League this season, while the Cardinals have a 7-12 record in interleague play.






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