The Baltimore Orioles broke open a close game with a nine-run sixth inning and cruised to a 13-4 rout of the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Saturday afternoon.
The Orioles had two walks and six hits in the sixth, including a three-run homer by Anthony Santander and a two-run triple by Gunnar Henderson. The Orioles tallied 14 hits in the game. Henderson finished with three hits and was a double shy of the cycle. Henderson, Santander and Ryan Mountcastle each drove in three runs.
All the offense came in support of Orioles starter Grayson Rodriguez (1-0), who allowed one run and four hits in six innings, striking out nine, walking one and throwing 84 pitches.
Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel had an infield single in the ninth inning, extending his streak of reaching base by hit or walk to 31 games, the third longest streak to begin a major league career since 1900. Alvin Davis holds the record (47 in 1984) and Truck Hannah is next (38 in 1918).
The Orioles struck early against Angels starter Griffin Canning (0-1), scoring two runs in the first inning. Henderson, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run on a full-count pitch.
Catcher Adley Rutschman followed with a single, and one out later scored on a double by Mountcastle.
Baltimore increased its lead in the third inning to 3-0 when Santander doubled with two out and scored on a double by Mountcastle.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez held the Angels scoreless through three innings, allowing two singles and a walk. But in the fourth, Angels left fielder Taylor Ward homered to center on the first pitch, narrowing their deficit to 3-1.
The Orioles, however, knocked Canning out of the game and broke the game open in a nine-run sixth inning. Canning allowed the first two batters to reach base on a walk and a single and was removed.
The Orioles then unloaded on the Angels bullpen, getting an RBI single from Austin Hays, an RBI double from Cedric Mullins, a two-run single from Jordan Westburg, a two-run triple from Henderson and a three-run homer from Santander.
The Angels scored three runs in the ninth.
–Field Level Media