BALTIMORE - The St. Louis Cardinals enjoyed a feel-good blowout at the expense of the Baltimore Orioles, who absorbed another lopsided defeat in a duel between struggling teams in different leagues.
Carlos Martinez struck out eight during six sharp innings, and St. Louis hit a season-high five home runs in an 11-2 victory Friday night.
The Cardinals arrived at Camden Yards having lost 10 of their previous 14 games, but their breakdown was certainly no worse than that of the Orioles, who were 25-16 on May 20 and now stand at 32-34.
For one night, anyway, St. Louis (31-35) looked every bit like a team that's reached the postseason in five of the past six years. The Cards ended a three-game skid.
"It was kind of like passing the baton. I think that's what we did all night," rookie Paul DeJong said. "Everyone stepped up at the plate. It was just a fun time to be playing for the Cardinals."
DeJong became the third player in Cardinals history to have at least three hits, three runs, three RBI and a home run while batting ninth. Hall of Fame pitchers Bob Gibson and Dizzy Dean were the others.
Matt Carpenter and Dexter Fowler connected in succession to cap a four-run sixth inning, Tommy Pham hit a two-run drive in the seventh and Jedd Gyorko added a solo shot in the ninth to help St. Louis snap an eight-game road losing streak.
"Hopefully we continue with this and keep winning ballgames," Carpenter said. "Anytime you have a day like today, it's a good start for sure."
Coming off a four-hit shutout against Philadelphia, Martinez (6-5) gave up one run and four hits. The right-hander has 45 strikeouts during his last five starts.
"He's just in a nice place right now, making good pitches," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.
Trey Mancini hit his 11th home run for Baltimore, an anticlimactic drive with two outs in the ninth.
After losing seven of eight on a three-city road trip, the Orioles launched a seven-game homestand with a mighty thud.
"When we're going well, everybody is doing well. When we're not, it's the whole team," outfielder Hyun Soo Kim said through a translator.
Kevin Gausman (3-6) allowed five runs and nine hits in 52/3 innings. He was replaced by Gabriel Ynoa, who yielded three home runs.
"It's going to turn around at some point," Gausman said. "I wanted to be the one to kind of right the ship today, but it just didn't work out that way."
After a sacrifice fly by Manny Machado got Baltimore to 2-1 in the third, DeJong hit a two-run drive in the fourth.
An RBI single by DeJong, a two-run drive by Carpenter and Fowler's home run made it 8-1 in the sixth.
Carpenter went 2-for-3 and is 17-for-38 (.447) since he moved into the leadoff spot on June 7.
Notes: The Orioles placed RHP Mike Wright (right shoulder bursitis) on the 10-day disabled list, optioned RHP Jimmy Yacabonis to Triple-A Norfolk and recalled relievers Vidal Nuo and Ynoa. Cardinals reliever Brett Cecil switched from No. 21 to 27, the number he wore with Toronto. The number became open after Jhonny Peralta was released Tuesday. Dropped from the rotation last month, Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez gets another chance to start Sunday. "Ubaldo has responded well to some time in the bullpen. We'll see if that happens again," manager Buck Showalter said. The Cardinals wonder if RHP Michael Wacha's poor start Thursday against Milwaukee (four innings, four runs) could be attributed to an injury. "First thing we always do is go to health," Matheny said. "We'll get hands on and get him evaluated." Orioles closer Zach Britton (left forearm strain) will launch his rehabilitation assignment by pitching Monday for Class A Aberdeen Orioles RHP Darren O'Day (right shoulder strain) threw Thursday. "No pain, no problems," Showalter said. Cardinals RHP Adam Wainwright (7-4, 4.73 ERA) makes his first career start against the Orioles today, the only major league team he hasn't faced. Wade Miley (2-4, 3.97 ERA) of the Orioles makes his 14th start of the season and fifth of his career against the Cardinals, a team he last faced in 2014.