Orioles avoid sweep by blowing out Sox

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[July 06, 2015]  CHICAGO -- The Baltimore Orioles avoided a sweep by the Chicago White Sox by getting their offense cranked up Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field.

The Orioles snapped a three-game losing streak with a 9-1 victory and ended the White Sox's four-game winning streak, getting a strong outing by right-hander Miguel Gonzalez and backing it up with 10 hits. They also got a home run, two RBIs and a great relay throw from second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who'd been out since mid-April with a knee injury.

"It feels really good, especially to get a win and score," Schoop said. "The guys were just talking about it today, about how we're not scoring and if we score a lot today we'll win. I was just really happy about it."

Along with Schoop's big day, Baltimore right fielder Chris Davis went 1-for-3 with two RBIs, first baseman Steve Pearce finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and catcher Caleb Joseph had three RBIs, including a two-run double that gave the Orioles a 4-0 lead in the sixth inning.

The run support was appreciated by Gonzalez (7-5), who bounced back from a rough start his previous time out. Gonzalez struck out three in six innings, allowed one run and gave up four hits and a walk.

"He's so strong mentally," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "There's a little pressure in that game. Miguel came in pitching with a purpose."
 


Rookie left-hander Carlos Rodon (3-2) took the loss after throwing five-plus innings. Rodon allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and four walks in his first start since manager Robin Ventura skipped his last turn in the rotation. He struck out seven.

"I'm not really happy about much," Rodon said. "No one likes to lose. I just knew it was going to be tough (in the majors) and it's never easy. It's baseball at the highest level. These guys are the best."

Rodon quickly got into trouble. Third baseman Conor Gillaspie committed two of Chicago's four errors on a slowly hit ball to third by left fielder Nolan Reimold in the first, and it led to a 1-0 lead for the Orioles on a double by center fielder Adam Jones (2-for-4, two runs).

Schoop's homer made it 2-0 in the second, and Baltimore broke the game open with six runs combined in the sixth and seventh. The Orioles were aided by two more Chicago errors in a four-run seventh, but their quiet offense was more of a concern to Ventura.

"You have to be able to score runs to win games," he said. "It just puts too much on the pitching staff to feel like they have to go out every night and win 1-0. Offensively, we've got to start knocking in some guys when they're in scoring position. You've got to be able to do that".

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The White Sox (36-43) scored their only run in the sixth on a double by left fielder Melky Cabrera. It scored first baseman Jose Abreu, but Cabrera was thrown out at third -- by Schoop's relay throw -- trying to stretch it into a triple.

Chicago's only other threat against Gonzalez was in the third, when Abreu struck out to end the inning with runners at second and third.

"It's always big (to strike out Abreu)," Gonzalez said. "We all know he has power and you've got to make pitches no matter what, if it's a tie ballgame or we're winning by eight or losing by eight."

Just about the only negative for the Orioles (43-39) happened to Davis in the eighth inning and still resulted in a run scoring. For the second game in a row, he had a home run taken away by a White Sox outfielder.

A day after Avisail Garcia prevented a game-tying homer in the ninth with a leaping grab at the fence in right, Cabrera snagged a likely homer by Davis on Sunday at the fence in left.

The consolation prize was Jones scoring from third to make it a sacrifice fly. Afterward, Davis waved a white towel toward the White Sox from the Orioles' dugout

NOTES: The Orioles activated 2B Jonathan Schoop (sprained knee) from the 60-day disabled list before the game. ... INF Ryan Flaherty was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. ... Orioles manager Buck Showalter said RHP Hunter Harvey was slated to start a throwing program Sunday. Harvey, one of the team's top prospects, hasn't pitched yet this season because of elbow soreness. ... Showalter said RHP Jason Garcia (right shoulder tendinitis) will make a rehab start Monday for the team's Double-A Bowie affiliate. ... White Sox manager Robin Ventura said he has confidence in RHP Zach Putnam, who allowed a game-tying home run Saturday that prevented RHP Jeff Samardzija from getting a win. "That's part of going through a long year," Ventura said. "A couple of homers have bit him, but this one we got to come back and win the game. In the end, that's the important thing. He's pitched well for us."

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