BALTIMORE — Cedric Mullins hit a leadoff homer as part of a three-hit day, and the Baltimore Orioles scored their most runs since 2015 and had a season-high 21 hits in an 18-5 rout of the Cleveland Indians on Sunday,
Baltimore entered 24th among the 30 major league teams in scoring, then put across its highest runs total since beating Oakland 18-2 on Aug. 16, 2015.
After losing their final 14 games in May, the Orioles are 4-1 in June and won two of three against Minnesota to start their homestand.
Ramón UrÃas also homered for Baltimore, which has won back-to-back series on the same homestand for the first time since May 8-13, 2018, when the Orioles won two of three against Kansas City and then three of four against Tampa Bay.
Amed Rosario and Bobby Bradley hit two-run homers for Cleveland, 3-7 against the AL East this season.
Mullins reached base in his first five plate appearances before his flyout in the eighth ended his on-base streak at 11. He had hits in nine consecutive at-bats in that span, Baltimore’s longest streak since Charles Johnson’s nine in a row from Sept. 13-17, 1999, and one shy of Ken Singleton’s record from April 26-28, 1981.
Jorge López (2-6) won for the first time in seven starts at Camden Yards tis season, allowing three runs and four hits in five innings.
Already ahead thanks to Mullins’ homer, Baltimore took control in the second against Cal Quantrill (0-2), who allowed seven runs — five earned — and five hits in 1 1/3 innings
Austin Wynns and Mullins hit RBI singles in the second, and Quantrill bounced his throw on Trey Mancini’s comebacker past catcher René Rivera for a two-run error. Anthony Santander’s two-run double off Nick Sandlin made it 7-0.
Baltimore added five runs in the fourth against reliever Sam Hentges, a rally that featured back-to-back infield singles that scored a runner from second. Santander hustled home on Ryan Mountcastle’s hit deep in the hole to shortstop. Freddy Galvis raced home on DJ Stewart’s single to second baseman Cesar Hernandez, who was positioned in shallow right as part of a shift.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: Baltimore placed LHP John Means (shoulder strain) on the 10-day injured list and recalled LHP Zac Lowther from Triple-A Norfolk. Means, 4-2 with a 2.28 ERA and a no-hitter against Seattle on May 5, left his start Saturday after facing only five batters and two outs. He underwent an MRI on Sunday. … LHP Brandon Waddell was claimed off waivers by St. Louis. Waddell, who pitched a scoreless inning in his lone appearance with Baltimore, was designated for assignment Friday.
UP NEXT
Indians: Following an off day, Cleveland begins a two-game series at St. Louis on Tuesday. RHP Shane Bieber (6-3, 3.08 ERA) is 8-3 with a 3.91 ERA in 12 career interleague starts.
Orioles: Baltimore also has Monday off. The Orioles continue their eight-game homestand Tuesday against the New York Mets as LHP Bruce Zimmermann (3-3, 4.96) draws the start.
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