Orioles Hit 4 HRs Off Nova, Beat White Sox 9-1 To End Skid
BALTIMORE (AP) — Dwight Smith Jr. hit a three-run homer, one of four long balls off Iván Nova, and the Baltimore Orioles overpowered the Chicago White Sox 9-1 Tuesday night to end a four-game losing streak.
Renanto Núñez, Chris Davis and Joey Rickard also connected for the Orioles, who improved their home record to 2-10 before a cozy, appreciative crowd of 8,953.
Andrew Cashner (4-1) gave up one run, five hits and a walk over seven innings to win his fourth straight decision. Just as important, he provided much needed rest to a bullpen that was drained in a 12-2 loss to Chicago one night earlier.
Nova (0-3) yielded nine runs over four innings. Obtained in an offseason trade with Pittsburgh, the right-hander has an 8.42 ERA over five starts and has given up 11 hits in each of his last two outings.
After Núñez hit a solo shot in the third, Rio Ruiz singled and Davis hit his second home run of the season — the first at home since Aug. 24 — for a 4-0 lead.
In the fourth, Smith followed singles by Jonathan Villar and Trey Mancini with a long drive to right, and Rickard connected one out later with a man on.
Returning from a one-day absence with a strained quad, Smith made a perfectly timed, high-flying catch at the wall in left field to rob Adam Engel of a two-run homer in the second inning. One inning later, Mancini made a leaping, backhand grab of a liner to right by José Abreu.
The rebuilding Orioles have suffered many a lopsided loss already this season, but on this night they put on an impressive display of pitching, offense and defense.
Coming into the game, Baltimore surrendered a major league-high 59 homers and hit only 26. Chicago's lone run came on a sixth-inning RBI single by Tim Anderson.
LEARNING ON THE JOB
Brandon Hyde went to the postseason four straight years before becoming a rookie manager with the Orioles, and now he's trying to make something good happen in Baltimore. "We're trying to develop winning players," Hyde said. "We're just scratching the surface. We've had a lot of guys who haven't won in the big leagues and haven't had a ton of success in the big leagues. But we believe in them and we're going to stay with them."
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: Leadoff hitter Leury Garcia was rested by manager Rick Renteria, who inserted Yoan Moncada atop the batting order.
Orioles: RHP Nate Karns (forearm strain) threw a side session Tuesday and hopes to resume his rehabilitation stint with Triple-A Norfolk this week.
UP NEXT
White Sox: RHP Ervin Santana (0-1, 10.38 ERA) works the series finale Wednesday night. He's seeking his 150th career victory and first with Chicago after signing as a free agent in February.
Orioles: LHP John Means (2-2, 1.72) plays the role of an opener for the third time this season. He lost his previous two starts despite allowing only a total of two earned runs in eight innings.
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