The Baltimore Orioles halted a three-game losing streak on the road, winning the series finale against the Chicago White Sox over the Fourth of July weekend at U.S. Cellular Field.
The Orioles suffered through a 26-inning scoreless streak which led to losing five of six against the Texas Rangers and the White Sox. After scoring just two runs combined in their first two games against Chicago, their bats exploded and provided some fireworks in the series finale, a 9-1 Orioles victory which ended the White Sox four game winning streak.
The Orioles, who had been 0-16 with RISP jumped on the White Sox early in game three of the series. In the first inning center fielder Adam Jones doubled down the left field line which scored Nolan Reimold who had reached on an error, one of four for the White Sox which helped the Orioles scoring chances and gave them an early 1-0 lead.
One inning later, second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who was finally returning to the starting lineup after an early-season leg injury, jacked a solo homer in his first at bat since April 17th. The score was now 2-0 and that was all the runs Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez would need.
In the sixth inning Baltimore catcher Caleb Joseph stroked a two-out, two-run double to give his team a 4-0 lead. Chicago came right back and scored a run to make the score 4-1, but made a mental blunder running the bases and got thrown out at third, ending their rally.
The Orioles then erupted for four more runs in the seventh and one more in the eighth inning to put the game away.
Joseph went 1-4 with three RBIs and Schoop and slugger Chris Davis, who was robbed of two homers over the weekend had two RBIs each.
Jones had two doubles, going 2-4 with one RBI. Steve Pearce went 3-4 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez (7-5, 3.87 ERA) allowed four hits, struck out three and walked one and allowed one run in six innings of work.
The bullpen did its job, striking out five while allowing one hit in three innings to secure the much needed victory.
In the first game of the series, a 1-0 Chicago win, the Orioles wasted a stellar pitching performance from Ubaldo Jimenez who was lights out except for a third inning solo homer. He allowed six hits, struck out four and walked two in seven innings of work. He dropped to (7-4) with a 2.96 ERA.
In the middle game of the series, a Manny Machado two-run homer, which tied the game a 2-2, was all the fireworks the Birds could muster on Independence Day.
Orioles starter Chris Tillman (6-7) gave up 10 hits and two runs in four 2/3 innings of work. He struck out four and walked one. He now has a 5.57 ERA. The bullpen was steady until reliever Darren O’Day allowed the go ahead run in the eighth inning setting up an exciting finish.
With the White Sox ahead 3-2 in the ninth, Davis hit what appeared to be a game-tying home run over the right field wall but Chicago right fielder Avisail Garcia leaped up and extended his left arm as far as he could over the wall to make an incredible game-saving catch.
