CLEVELAND—For the last two games, the Orioles’ offense has been the difference. On Sunday, they had 15 hits for the second straight game, including three by Gunnar Henderson for the second consecutive game. Jackson Holliday had his third straight two-hit game as the Orioles managed a split of their four-game series with the Cleveland Guardians, winning 9-5 before 33,628 at Progressive Field.
The Orioles (67-46) needed another big game on offense because starting pitcher Corbin Burnes wasn’t at his best. Burnes (12-4) allowed five runs, four earned, on seven hits in five innings, his shortest start since April 14th. Cleveland baserunners stole five bases against him with four of the runners scoring. Burnes’ 12 wins equal a career high.
Henderson singled with two outs in the first and scored on Ryan O’Hearn’s single.
The Orioles took a 3-0 lead against Cleveland starter Gavin Williams (1-4) in the third on Adley Rutschman’s sacrifice fly and Eloy Jiménez’s run-scoring single.
David Schneeman singled and stole second to start the third. He scored on Steven Kwan’s single. Kwan stole second and scored when José Ramírez lined a ball off Burnes, who scrambled to pick it up and unwisely threw to first. The throw was wild, and Kwan came into score, and it was 3-2.
Holliday homered with one out in the fourth and after Colton Cowser tied an Orioles rookie record by hitting in his 17th consecutive game, Henderson homered, his 29th, and his first since the All-Star break for a 6-2 Orioles lead.
Josh Naylor hit a three-run home run against Burnes in the fifth, his 24th, and the Orioles’ lead was 6-5.
The Orioles added two runs in the sixth on Ryan Mountcastle’s RBI single and Rutschman’s RBI double to take an 8-5 lead. It was Rutschman’s third RBI.
Rutschman’s eighth-inning RBI single gave the Orioles a 9-5 lead.
Gregory Soto, Burch Smith, Cionel Pérez, Yennier Cano and Seranthony Dominguez combined for four shutout innings