Orioles blast five home runs in 7-1 blowout win over Detroit

Colton Cowser and James McCann each went deep twice and Corbin Burnes tossed his second straight scoreless outing as the O’s move closer to a playoff berth.

Pitching, defense and a bunch of home runs. It wasn’t exactly how Earl Weaver would’ve drawn it up, but it was more than enough for the 2024 Orioles, as they powered their way to a 7-1 win over the Tigers.

After Anthony Santander hit a walk-off homer on Thursday, he was clearly eager for an encore when he stepped to the plate in the 1st inning. Gunnar Henderson led off the inning with a double to center that was aided by a Tigers misplay in right center. With Austin Slater and Adley Rutschman only mustering weak ground outs, it looked like the scoring opportunity would pass the Orioles by. And then Tony Taters stepped to the plate. After sending his walk-off blast to the right center bleachers, Santander launched a cutter over Elrod’s Corner and into the left-center stands to put the O’s up 2-0.

Santander has been the lead the rest of this offense follows for most of this season, and it was no different Friday. Tony Tater’s 43rd homer kicked off a Camden Yards home run derby as Baltimore pounded a Tiger’s pitching staff that thoroughly frustrated them a week ago.

After Detroit again used an opener in Tyler Holton, they turned to Keider Montero as their innings eater out of the pen in the 2nd. The rookie right-hander out of Venezuela blanked the Orioles over five innings last Sunday in Detroit but was met with a much ruder welcome in Camden Yards. Colton Cowser jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Monteiro, blasting it over the center field fence and kicking off a chorus of “Moooooo’s” around Camden Yards.

The fireworks show would continue in the 4th as the bottom of the lineup got in on the fun. Coby Mayo picked up his first hit since September 10th with a flared, one-out single into centerfield. Two batters later, Monteiro hung a slider over the plate to James McCann, and the toughest catcher in baseball was all too happy to muscle it into the Orioles bullpen. It’s hard to say what was more impressive—the swing McCann put on the baseball, or the fact that Cionel Perez was once again there for the hat catch on the two-run shot.

Up 5-0 and with Corbin Burnes on the mound, the Orioles needed to challenge themselves somehow. For Cowser and McCann, the challenge became a game of “anything you can do, I can do better.” In his second at-bat against Monteiro, Cowser was kind enough to let him throw four pitches, but the result was the same. The Milk Man attacked a 1-2 hanging curveball, sending it onto Eutaw Street for his second homer of the night and 22nd of the season.

However, McCann saved the best home run of the night for last. Three batters after Cowser’s second homer, the Orioles No.9 hitter stepped to the plate ready to deliver the knockout blow to Monteiro. After fouling off a 2-2 fastball to stay alive, McCann turned on an inside slider and sent a majestic blast over the Great Wall of Baltimore to chase Monteiro and cap off the Orioles long ball barrage.

With a pair of homers for both Cowser and McCann, Friday marked the first time all season that a pair of O’s each had multihomer games. The five home runs also marked a season-high for the Baltimore offense. There were so many homers hit that the Hydration Station had to tap out from overuse.

Not to be outdone by the offense, Burnes again delivered a dominant performance against Detroit. After throwing seven shutout innings last time out in Comerica Park, the Orioles ace put on a repeat performance in front of the home fans. Burnsey started his outing facing the minimum in the 1st, punching out Matt Vierling on a slider before Kerry Carpenter was caught stealing to end the inning.

The All-Star starter started off the 2nd with another K—this time punching out Riley Greene with a cutter low and in. Burnes would give up his first hit of the game with one out in the 3rd, as Trey Sweeney lined a single up the middle. The right-hander would walk Parker Meadows to give Detroit their first runner in scoring position but got Kerry Carpenter to bounce out to second to strand the Tigers.

Burnes was the model of efficiency Friday as he continued to cruise through the Tigers lineup. After getting through the 2nd inning in eight pitches, he only needed six to set down Detroit in the 4th. He’d need only nine pitches to put the Tigers down in order in the 5th—including his best pitch of the night on a perfectly thrown back-door cutter to K Zach McKinstry.

He’d pick up another two K’s in the top of the 6th before giving up his only extra-base hit of the night on a double down the left field line from Carpenter. Much like the 3rd, the base runner didn’t phase Burnes as he’d escape the jam with another grounder to Jackson Holliday at second.

Colt Keith—the only Tiger to get a hit off Burnes in Detroit—led off the 7th with a single, but it didn’t stop Burnsey from completing another scoreless outing. He’d pick up his 8th K of the game on a slider to Spencer Torkelson, before ending his evening on a lineout and pop up in foul territory. After delivering a final line of 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB and 8 Ks, Burnes delivered his second scoreless all season—both against the Tigers.

Birdland would get another reason to smile in the 8th when Danny Coulombe toed the rubber in Baltimore for the first time since the beginning of June. The lefty reliever would give up two hits to the Tigers but would leave both runners stranded after a strikeout of Vierling and a flyout by Greene.

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The win drops the Orioles’ magic number for a postseason birth down to three games. Friday also marked the first time since September 3rd that Baltimore has scored more than five runs—and the first time since August 23rd that they scored 5+ against a team above .500. The O’s will look to win the series tomorrow when Cade Povich makes his final start in Camden Yards this year.