Cease, Mercedes Lift White Sox Over Slumping Orioles 5-1
CHICAGO (AP) — Dylan Cease struck out 10, Yermín Mercedes homered and drove in three, and the Chicago White Sox handed the Baltimore Orioles their 10th straight loss, 5-1 on Thursday night.
Cease (3-1) threw a career-high 111 pitches and allowed one earned run over six innings. He stumbled following a 19-minute rain delay before first pitch, allowing a single and hitting a batter before retiring his next eight and 15 of the next 18.
"I'm always trying to take something out of it to improve," Cease said. "You leave with a win and you put the team in a good position."
Baltimore's Trey Mancini was hit by a pitch in the first inning and left with a bruised right elbow. X-rays were negative.
The first baseman entered Thursday second in the majors with 42 RBIs a year after being diagnosed with colon cancer.
Billy Hamilton gave Chicago a 2-1 lead with an RBI single grounded up the middle against Dillon Tate (0-2) in the sixth.
Jose Abreu doubled in a run and Mercedes plated two more with a double in the seventh.
AL Central-leading Chicago bounced back after losing to St. Louis on Wednesday and still has not lost consecutive games at home this season.
Baltimore left-hander Bruce Zimmermann allowed a run and six hits over five innings after allowing five earned runs in three innings against the Washington Nationals on Saturday.
The 10th straight loss matched the Orioles' longest skid since dropping 10 in a row from June 12-21, 2019.
"Right now we're finding out about our players," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. "We're facing really good competition and struggling offensively some nights. It is what it is right now."
Mercedes hit his seventh home run of the season in the second inning, drilling Zimmermann's 3-0 fastball into left field to give Chicago a 1-0 lead.
Freddy Galvis tied it in the fourth when he hit Cease's knuckle curve just over the right-field fence for his seventh home run of the season.
Cease allowed two hits to start the sixth inning before getting out of a jam with two strikeouts and a flyout to center field. The right-hander allowed four hits with two walks.
"He felt good, we thought he was throwing the ball well," White Sox manager Tony La Russa said. "He had worked out of that thing. (White Sox pitching coach) Ethan Katz and I both thought he was capable to get an out or two. He got three."
ROSTER MOVE
Chicago placed RHP Michael Kopech on the bereavement list. RHP Ryan Burr was promoted from Triple-A Charlotte.
Chicago moved CF Luis Robert (hip) to the 60-day IL. Baltimore reinstated Tate (left hamstring strain) from the 10-day injured list.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: OF/1B Ryan Mountcastle (left hand) took batting practice and is day-to-day.
White Sox: Kopech (left hamstring) had imaging done and La Russa remained optimistic and said they will know more Friday. ... SS Tim Anderson (left thumb soreness) missed his second straight game. The White Sox said he should be back Friday. ... RF Adam Eaton (hamstring) was not in the lineup after exiting Wednesday's game against St. Louis. La Russa said Eaton will have some time off and not be placed on the IL. ... LHP Jace Fry (microdiscectomy) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte.
UP NEXT
Orioles right-hander Matt Harvey (3-5, 6.31 ERA) and White Sox left-hander Dallas Keuchel (3-1, 4.28 ERA) start on Friday. Harvey has allowed at least five earned runs in his last three starts. Keuchel matched his shortest outing (4.0 IP) of the season against the Yankees on Sunday.
(© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)