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 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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