White Sox go for fourth straight win, sweep of Orioles
BALTIMORE -- The Chicago White Sox will try to stretch their winning streak to four games and finish a weekend sweep of the Baltimore Orioles when the teams meet Sunday at Camden Yards.
Chicago has bounced back after dropping seven straight games. The White Sox took the final game of a series with the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday and won the first two games of this series, including a 2-0 victory on Saturday night.
That win also locked up the season series for the White Sox, who now lead the Orioles 4-2 with just the one game left. The White Sox (59-89) have not beaten the Orioles (42-106) in a season series since 2008.
Chicago has not waved the white flag in the season's final three weeks despite struggling at times and recently dealing with that long losing streak.
They're still pushing hard in each game.
"We came here to play 100 percent," Avisail Garcia said after his solo homer in the ninth inning gave the White Sox some insurance on Saturday night. "(We) try to do our best and try to win every single game. Just trying to do our job."
Neither team could do much offensively for much of Saturday's game. The White Sox three times tried to steal, but Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph gunned them down each time -- in the third, sixth and eighth innings.
Chicago went ahead thanks to a two-out rally in the sixth against Baltimore starter Yefry Ramirez. Yoan Moncada doubled to right with two outs and Yolmer Sanchez came up next and sent a double to left that scored the game's first run.
Ramirez, a rookie, has likely earned another start after a solid 5 2/3-inning outing in which he gave up one run and struck out seven.
"He was outstanding," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "That was fun to watch. That was as good as you want to see a young pitcher pitch."
But that one run was all the White Sox needed thanks to seven shutout innings from Reynaldo Lopez.
Lucas Giolito (10-10, 5.76 ERA) will start Sunday for Chicago against Baltimore rookie David Hess (3-10, 5.17) in the final game of the season between the teams.
Giolito has fared well of late, going 3-1 with a 4.05 ERA in his last five starts. He also has struck out 33 in 33 2/3 innings and held opponents to a .218 average.
The right-hander has an 0-1 career record with a 47.25 ERA versus the Orioles thanks to one bad start the only time he pitched against them. Baltimore touched him up for seven runs and six hits in 1 1/3 innings in a May 24 loss.
For Hess, who has pitched well at times, especially lately, this will be his first appearance against the White Sox.
Matt Davidson returned to the Chicago lineup Saturday after sitting out the previous four games (sore left calf). Manager Rick Renteria said he wanted to get Davidson's big bat back into the lineup -- he has hit 20 homers this season -- and put him in as the designated hitter.
Renteria said Davidson felt good after the game and will return Sunday in the series finale but at first base.
