O's hit five home runs and release frustration in 15-7 win (updated)

This must be what venting looks like. And being on the other side of a big lead.

The Orioles sent 11 batters to the plate today in the bottom of the second inning, scored seven runs while eliminating Adam Wainwright from the game, and claimed a 15-7 victory over the Cardinals before an announced crowd of 27,788 at Camden Yards.

Jonathan Schoop homered twice for the Orioles, who improved to 33-34 while winning for only the second time in 10 games. Adam Jones, Mark Trumbo and Manny Machado also hit home runs. It was Machado's first since June 3.

The Yankees lost again today, leaving the Orioles 5 1/2 games out of first place in the American League East.

Schoop matched his career high with four hits and recorded the sixth multi-homer game of his career, including two in 2017. The Orioles notched their highest run total of the season, topping the 13 they scored in 13 innings on May 16 in Detroit.

Dexter Fowler greeted reliever Alec Asher with a three-run homer with two outs in the sixth inning to reduce the lead to 12-7. Two runs were charged to Wade Miley, leaving him with six on the day, including five earned. But the Orioles had more muscle to flex.

Jones and Trumbo went back-to-back with two outs in the first inning to provide a 2-1 lead. The Orioles have done it five times this season, but only once without Schoop.

Schoop collected two hits in the second inning and launched a two-run homer into the home bullpen in the fourth, and an offense that scored three runs or fewer in 33 games went ballistic.

J.J. Hardy delivered a two-run single in the second for his first multi-RBI game since May 16 in Detroit, when he drove in three runs over 13 innings. Machado homered into the Orioles' bullpen, Jones was hit below the left knee, Trumbo singled and Trey Mancini followed with a two-run double.

Wainwright was making his first career start against the Orioles. It ended with Mancini's double.

Wainwright also allowed nine runs over 3 2/3 innings in a June 6 game in Cincinnati. His ERA rose today from 4.73 to 5.75 while he turned in the shortest start of his career.

Schoop greeted reliever Tyler Lyons with a run-scoring single, giving him 37 RBIs for the season and enabling him to tie Mancini for the team lead. Mancini moved ahead for a brief moment.

Schoop increased his total to 39 with his two-run shot in the fourth that gave the Orioles a 12-3 lead, and to 40 with a solo home run off John Brebbia leading off the seventh. He also has 20 doubles and 13 home runs this season. He began the day with a .340 on-base percentage.

Hardy collected his second double of the day later in the seventh, scoring pinch-runner Joey Rickard for a 14-7 lead. Mancini scored in the eighth on a passed ball after reaching on an infield hit.

Miley was charged with six runs (five earned) and six hits in 5 2/3 innings, with four walks, eight strikeouts and two home runs. Manager Buck Showalter removed him after 117 pitches, leaving the rotation with one quality start in the last 12 games.

Fowler was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against Miley. He welcomed the switch.

Asher faced three batters and allowed the home run and two singles. Richard Bleier faced one batter, walking Greg Garcia to load the bases. Mychal Givens replaced him and struck out Eric Fryer on three pitches.

Givens retired seven of eight batters he faced to tie his career high for innings at 2 1/3 set on May 24, 2016 in Houston. The 42 pitches were the highest total of his career. Givens stayed in the game after Chad Huffman's liner up the middle knocked the glove off his hand. He still recorded the out.

Miley walked two batters in the first inning and was tagged with an unearned run on Schoop's fielding error. Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Yadier Molina hit a solo home run in the fifth to trim the lead to 12-4.

Molina came out the following inning, part of a series of substitutions that put Garcia and Fryer in the game.

DeJong also homered last night and now has three on the season. You can only hope to contain him.

The Orioles couldn't be stopped today and they no longer share last place with the Blue Jays, who lost to the White Sox.

Here's a sampling from Showalter:

On Givens being a calming factor: "That was a big momentum change. You never feel like there's enough on day games here, especially the way the ball's jumping. How many home runs today, seven? Eight? You're just hoping there's not walks and there's not errors so that you don't have that issue.

"Wade was OK. Wade seems like he's the victim of a lot of pitches barely off the plate and those are balls. Sometimes, he gets a few of them and sometimes he doesn't. That's part of the game today with the way umpires are being evaluated. For the most part they make you throw it over the plate in today's game. For the most part."

On whether he wanted to use Givens today: "No, but we won. We scored more runs than they did. We got a touchdown lead. Brad (Brach) fortunately needed to throw today. I was hoping we could get Ash there, but you could tell the momentum of that game was starting to change. Mychal was probably the key to the game today."

On whether he was hesitant to send Givens back out for eighth: "He had two days off. He only had 20 pitches. He got a lot of foul balls. That was the last hitter he was going to face. I was going to have to bring Brad in there because that's what we had available. I'd rather not, but we're also trying to win a game and live to fight another day."

On whether he removed Bleier to save him for Sunday: "No. We're trying to win the game. Gets popped there by all those right-handers coming up and we've got a problem. The ball was flying out of here today. That was another issue we had going."

On second inning: "It's a good pitcher, good pitching staff, and just grouped together a lot of good at-bats. I think they know in the American League and in the major leagues period, you never know how much is going to be enough. You better make hay while you can."

On evolution of Schoop as hitter: "Jon has slowed the game down. I was talking to him and Manny around the cage and said, 'Jon, do you think you have more walks or less walks than you had at this stage last year?' He knows. Same as Manny. I think Trum has the biggest jump in walks of all of them.

"It's not always walks. It's just don't do things to get yourself out. It's been fun to watch Jon because he's been pretty consistent with it. That's what makes you think he has a chance to be one of those guys. He's pretty good regardless. He's the type of guy, disappointed in a couple of defensive plays, but he came right back and made a great play to lead off the inning after that."

On Machado's defensive gem in the eighth: "To make it even better, I had a good look at it. It's probably foul. It's probably a foul ball. So, yeah. The most amazing thing is the throw and the velocity he can create from that arm angle.

"I was talking to Brian Butterfield, the first base coach of the Red Sox, he was talking about he's got a first-class seat there. One of the differences is the velocity and arm strength he can create from different slots and throw accurately. People that haven't been around it try to rate him.

"I was talking to Manny about it yesterday about the level that he expects. People expect him to make every play and be perfect, and when he doesn't do something flawlessly defensively people go, 'What's wrong with him? Is he tired or whatever?' Think about the bar that he has set for himself. I can't say it now, but when I'm through one day I'll tell you how I really feel about where he rates comparatively speaking."