BALTIMORE, Md., May 27, 2025 — The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 7-4 in a tightly contested game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, improving their record to 31-24 and holding second place in the NL Central. The Orioles, now 19-35 and fifth in the AL East, struggled to maintain an early lead, as seen in the sports card above.
The Cardinals struck first in the top of the first inning when Willson Contreras singled, driving in Lars Nootbaar to give St. Louis a 1-0 lead. Nootbaar extended the advantage in the second with a two-run homer, scoring Jordan Walker and making it 3-0. The Orioles responded in the fourth when Heston Kjerstad grounded into a force out, scoring Ryan Mountcastle to cut the deficit to 3-1. Baltimore took a 4-3 lead in the fifth after Ryan O’Hearn’s three-run homer brought home Ramón Urías and Gunnar Henderson. “Ryan O’Hearn homers (9) on a fly ball to center field. Ramón Urías scores. Gunnar Henderson scores,” the play-by-play noted.
St. Louis tied the game in the seventh when Masyn Winn singled, scoring Victor Scott II. The Cardinals surged ahead in the eighth, sparked by Nolan Arenado’s solo home run. “Nolan Arenado homers (6) on a fly ball to left center field,” the box score recorded. Jordan Walker followed with an RBI triple, scoring pinch-runner Jose Barrero, and Winn added another RBI single, driving in Walker to secure a 7-4 lead.
Steven Matz earned the win for St. Louis, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings with one strikeout, improving to 3-1 with a 1.91 ERA. Ryan Helsley closed the game, earning his 11th save with a scoreless ninth. Bryan Baker took the loss for Baltimore, falling to 3-1 after allowing three earned runs in 0.2 innings. “It was a tough one,” Baker said post-game, as noted in the sports card above. Andre Pallante started for the Cardinals, allowing four runs (three earned) over 5.2 innings, while Tomoyuki Sugano started for the Orioles, giving up three earned runs in 5.1 innings.
Nootbaar led the Cardinals’ offense, going 3-for-4 with two runs, a homer, and two RBIs. Arenado and Walker each contributed two hits, with Arenado’s homer and Walker’s triple proving pivotal. For the Orioles, Mountcastle went 3-for-4 with two doubles, and O’Hearn’s three RBIs powered Baltimore’s brief lead. The Cardinals’ 14 hits outpaced Baltimore’s eight, and St. Louis capitalized on 5-for-12 opportunities with runners in scoring position, compared to Baltimore’s 1-for-14.
The game, played under overcast skies with 64-degree temperatures and a 6 mph wind, drew 13,779 fans and lasted 2 hours and 57 minutes. An error by Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson and two stolen bases by Orioles’ Jorge Mateo added to the game’s intensity, but St. Louis’ late rally proved decisive.
The Cardinals’ victory underscores their strong road performance, while the Orioles continue to face challenges in closing out games. Both teams showcased key contributors, with Nootbaar and O’Hearn delivering standout performances.
