Encarnacion-Strand hits tiebreaking RBI double in the 9th as Orioles outlast Cardinals 8-7

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit a tiebreaking RBI double, Leody Taveras and Pete Alonso homered and the Baltimore Orioles beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-7 on Wednesday night after squandering a seven-run, second-inning lead.

Encarnacion-Strand's double in the top of the ninth scored Luis Vázquez, helping the Orioles (65-68) stay within 2 1/2 games of the Cleveland Guardians in the race for the final American League wild-card spot.

Encarnacion-Strand and Dylan Beavers opened the scoring with RBI singles before Taveras' three-run homer extended the lead to 5-0 in the first inning. Alonso followed in the second with his team-leading 32nd home run of the year — a two-run, 368-foot long ball to right field.

Grant Wolfram (5-2) worked a hitless eighth inning, and Andrew Kittredge picked up his seventh save of the season with a one-hit ninth as Baltimore took the first two games of the three-game set.

Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish allowed seven runs on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Five relievers worked 4 2/3 scoreless innings.

Nolan Gorman hit a solo homer in the second for St. Louis, which scored six runs in the fifth inning. Alec Burson started the comeback with a two-run single, Jordan Walker tacked on an RBI double and Nathan Church had a two-run double to bring St. Louis within a run. José Fermín tied the game at 7 with an RBI groundout.

Riley O’Brien (3-6), who has 33 saves this season, allowed the go-ahead run. Michael McGreevy worked five innings, giving up seven runs on 10 hits while striking out three for St. Louis.

Orioles' LHP Trevor Rogers (9-8, 4.14 ERA) takes the mound for the series finale on Thursday. The Cardinals have not named a starter.

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Baltimore Orioles' Christian Encarnacion-Strand (32) and Andrew Kittredge (39) celebrate a victory over the St. Louis Cardinals following a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Baltimore Orioles' Samuel Basallo, left, singles as St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson handles the throw during the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Baltimore Orioles' Christian Encarnacion-Strand watches his RBI double during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Baltimore Orioles' Christian Encarnacion-Strand hits an RBI double during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

CHICAGO (AP) — Tristan Peters homered for the fifth consecutive game to match the franchise record and MLB rookie mark, Brenton Doyle hit a three-run shot and the Chicago White Sox beat the Texas Rangers 10-4 on Wednesday night in the rubber match of a three-game series.

The Rangers remain a half-game behind AL West-leading Houston, which lost 9-3 to the Yankees in New York earlier Wednesday.

Peters had three hits and three RBIs and Doyle added a run-scoring single. Sam Antonacci hit two RBI singles and Miguel Vargas went 2 for 2 with an RBI.

Sean Newcomb (2-3) pitched three scoreless innings for the win. Jonathan Cannon allowed two runs over the final three innings for his first save since 2024.

Texas has lost of 12 of its last 15 games on the road has dropped six consecutive road series for the first time since it lost eight straight away from home in 2021.

Peters hit a two-run shot that made it 6-2 in the fifth. He and Munetaka Murakami are the first rookies in franchise history to homer in five straight games in the same season.

Texas went 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position and left 12 runners stranded. The Rangers left at least 10 on base in each game of the series and 33 combined.

Joc Pederson hit a two-run shot off White Sox starter Sean Burke in the third for the Rangers. Ezequiel Duran added a two-run single in the seventh.

MacKenzie Gore (7-10) allowed eight hits and four runs in 3 2/3 innings. Texas had won nine straight when Gore started.

Burke walked eight and allowed two runs in three-plus innings.

Rangers LHP Cody Bradford (0-2, 3.05 ERA) starts Friday opposite Brewers RHP Logan Henderson (8-2, 2.60) in the opener of a three-game series at Milwaukee.

White Sox RHP Luis Castillo (4-10, 5.19 ERA) starts Friday against Twins Dean Kremer (2-4, 5.22) to kickoff a three-game set at Minnesota.

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Chicago White Sox's Brenton Doyle watches his three-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Chicago White Sox's Tristan Peters celebrates after hitting a two-run home during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Chicago White Sox's Tristan Peters watches his two-run home during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Chicago White Sox's Tristan Peters watches his two-run home during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Chicago White Sox's Tristan Peters watches his two-run home during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)