All four of Glaus' potential replacements were in the starting lineup on Saturday. Freese got the start at first base for the first time in his professional career, while Joe Mather drew the start at third, going 2-for-5 with 2 RBIs.

Joe Thurston had two hits while playing second and hitting leadoff. Right fielder Brendan Ryan's lone hit in six at-bats was a two-RBI triple.

"Now is the time to get rolling and that's what I've done the past few days," said Freese, who's 6-for-8 in his last two starts. "Right now, I'm just trying to hit the ball hard."

Freese accomplished that even in his lone out of the afternoon - a line drive right at Baltimore shortstop Cesar Izturis.

"He's having some good at-bats," manager Tony La Russa said.

Baltimore starter Adam Eaton became the first Orioles pitcher to throw five innings this spring, despite a shaky outing. Released by Philadelphia earlier this spring, Eaton earned the win even though he allowed five runs on nine hits and four walks in his third start for the Orioles.

"I struggled - I didn't have everything working at the same time, ever," Eaton said. "At the same time, I still got five innings and 90 pitches. In that regard, it's mission accomplished, but I still fell an inning short of what I wanted to do."

The Cardinals' lineup barely resembled the nine that will take the field on opening day as La Russa took most of the starters to the west coast of Florida for Friday's game against Boston in Fort Myers and chose to leave them there for Sunday's game at Minnesota.

The third inning was Eaton's worst. Brian Barden and Thurston led off with back-to-back singles. They came around to score on Ryan's triple into the right-field corner. Ryan scored on Freese's single to left.

Adam Jones' two-run homer that landed on the roof of the Marlins' clubhouse beyond the left field wall in the fourth inning cut the Cardinals lead to 5-3.

Baltimore tied it in the fifth when Nick Markakis' bases-loaded double to center scored two. The Orioles took the lead for good on Aubrey Huff's RBI groundout, and Markakis came home on a wild pitch to give the Orioles a 7-5 lead.