Coverage of today's Cards and Orioles game can be heard on The Big 870AM/96.3 FM Newstalk WTIM beginning at 2:30pm. 

Baltimore,  MD  (SportsNetwork.com) - The  Baltimore Orioles hit six home runs 
on  Friday en  route to  a 12-2  drubbing of  the St.  Louis Cardinals  in the 
opener of a three-game series. 

J.J.  Hardy homered  twice in the rout, while Manny Machado, Adam Jones, Chris 
Davis and Ryan Flaherty went yard as well. Nick Hundley had three hits for the 
O's, who extended their major league-best record since July 1 to 23-10. 

All nine starters in Baltimore's lineup had at least one hit. 

The  power surge  overshadowed a terrific start by Chris Tillman, who held St. 
Louis  scoreless over  6 2/3 innings before A.J. Pierzynski hit his first home 
run  as a member  of the Cardinals. Tillman (9-5) struck out seven and gave up 
just two runs on four hits. 

Machado  was hit with a pitch around singles by Nick Markakis and Jones in the 
top of the first inning, putting Cardinals starter Justin Masterson (1-1) in a 
bases-loaded  jam with  no outs. Masterson fanned the next two batters and got 
Hardy to ground out, temporarily avoiding the big inning. 

It  came in the  second, though. Flaherty singled and scored on a Hundley base 
knock  to left. After  Markakis drew a walk, Machado made it 4-0 with his home 
run to left center. 

Hardy led off the third inning with a solo home run and again Masterson loaded 
the bases before getting pulled for reliever Nick Greenwood. Greenwood induced 
a 1-2-3 double-play and a groundout. 

Masterson's  final line  included five  runs on  seven hits  in just  two-plus 
innings. 

Hardy  homered again  in the fourth inning,  this time with Jones and Davis on 
base  for an 8-0  Baltimore lead. Jones and Davis hit solo blasts in the fifth 
and  sixth,  respectively, and Flaherty plated  the 11th and 12th Orioles runs 
with his sixth-inning home run. 

After  Pierzynski's  shot to right  made it  12-2, Brian Matusz took Tillman's 
place on the mound and recorded the next four outs. Brad Brach needed just six 
pitches to get through the ninth. 

                                   Game Notes 

The  Orioles  have won  seven consecutive  series openers  ... Tillman won his 
first  interleague  start in 11  tries. He improved to  1-1 in those games ... 
Masterson  has lost his last three decisions against Baltimore ... The Orioles 
outhit  the Cardinals, 15-4 ...  Prior to the  game, St. Louis placed pitcher 
Jason  Motte on  the 15-day disabled list and recalled Greenwood from Triple-A 
Memphis.