Rich Dubroff

Orioles hit season-high 5 home runs, Burnes shuts down Tigers in 7-1 win

By Rich Dubroff

Posted on September 20, 2024

BALTIMORE—For the first time this season, the Orioles hit five home runs and, behind Corbin Burnes’ pitching, blasted their way to a second straight victory.

Colton Cowser and James McCann each hit two home runs, and Anthony Santander hit his 43^rd as the Orioles beat the Detroit Tigers, 7-1, before 33,629 at Camden Yards on Friday night. Burnes (15-8) allowed three hits in seven scoreless innings, his second straight scoreless outing. He walked three and struck out eight.

The win reduces the Orioles’ magic number to clinch a postseason berth to 3.

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Last weekend, the Orioles (86-68) were punchless in Detroit, losing two of three and were nearly no-hit on September 13^th.

While the Tigers (80-74) have gone 25-11 since August 11^th to put themselves in position to grab the final American League wild-card spot, the Orioles have sputtered.

Before winning consecutive games for the first time since September 1^st-3^rd, the Orioles had lost nine of 12.

Troy Sweeney singled with one out in the third, Kerry Carpenter doubled in the seventh and Colt Keith singled in the seventh for the hits off Burnes.

All seven Orioles runs were the result of homers. Santander, who won Thursday’s game against the Giants with a two-run homer in the ninth, hit a two-run home in the first against Detroit opener Tyler Holton (7-2), setting the tone for the evening.

Cowser hit solo shots leading off the second and sixth, his second two-home run game of the season. McCann hit a two-run home run in the fourth and a solo home run in the sixth. The home runs by Cowser and McCann came against Keider Montero.

It was the first time two Orioles hit two home runs in a game since June 19^th, 2021 when Ryan Mountcastle and Cedric Mullins did it against Toronto.

Danny Coulombe, who was activated after missing more than three months after left elbow surgery, pitched a scoreless eighth. He gave up two hits and struck out two.

Jacob Webb allowed a two-out single by Sweeney that scored Detroit’s run.