Thome leads Sox to 3-1 win over O's
Tonight: White Sox at Orioles 7:00pm (MASN2). Coverage begins at 6:30pm with O's XTRA Pregame.
Live Game Blog: Follow the action with the latest news, analysis, commentary and even minor league updates at Steve Melewski's Game Blog.
Jim Thome's three-run homer in the first gives Chicago all its offense. Jose Conteras pitches seven for the win. Adam Loewen takes the loss. O's have dropped six of eight games.
CHISOX WIN BEHIND THOME, CONTRERAS
The Orioles offense continues to struggle. The Birds were held to five singles tonight in a 3-1 loss to Chicago. Winning pitcher Jose Contreras (1-1) held the Birds to four hits and one run over seven innings.
Jim Thome provided all the scoring the Sox would need with a three-run homer in the first inning. Nick Swisher led off the game with a single off Adam Loewen and then Orlando Cabrera walked. Thome then hit a 400-foot homer, his third of the year and 510th of his career. Three batters into the game the O's were behind by three.
The Orioles are now 1-2 on this homestand and 8-7 on the season.
The Orioles have lost six of their last 8 games, scoring just 23 runs in that time.
Losing pitcher Loewen allowed three runs and six hits in six innings. He walked five and threw 109 pitches.
Aubrey Huff had an infield RBI single in the O's 4th for his 12th RBI of the season.
The Sox, leading in the AL Central, are 9-5 and have won 9 of their last 12.
CWS 3-6-1
Balt 1-5-0
Tonight's attendance was 12,080.
POST-GAME NEWS AND NOTES
A TURN OF EVENTS
In his first two starts this year, Jose Contreras had given up 16 hits and walked seven in just 11.2ip. He lost 17 games last year. His career ERA before tonight vs. the Orioles was 5.50 and it was 7.00 at Camden Yards.
Tonight he reversed all that allowing just four singles and one run in seven innings. He needed just 91 pitches. He walked no one. The O's said he deserved the credit, rather than they had poor at bats or a shaky approach vs. Contreras.
OFFENSE GETTING OFFENSIVE
The O's are still struggling on offense, held to a season low five hits tonight. They were retired in order six times and Sox pitching retired 17 of the last 18 O's that batted. The team average is down to .252 and the club has scored just 23 runs the past 8 games.
LOEWEN DID OKAY
Two good things about Adam Loewen tonight. He didn't fold after giving up three runs in the first and he did get the team six innings. They needed at least that from their starter after Trachsel's early departure last night. Loewen says he's still searching for his fastball command and had better control with his curve tonight. On the year he's now 0-1 with an ERA of 6.32.
GOING THE WRONG WAY
The O's have now lost 6 of 8 games since their 6-1 start. Chicago has won 9 of 12 and has won its last five road games.
BRIGHT SPOT
Righty Jim Johnson. The O's 2005 minor-league pitcher of the year is now having major league success. He retired all six batters he faced tonight in the 7th and 8th, getting four ground balls and one strikeout. He has now pitched 5.1ip on the season, giving up just 2 hits and no runs.
UP NEXT
The Baltimore kid, Gavin Floyd, faces his boyhood favorite team Thursday night at the Yard. Jeremy Guthrie goes for the O's before the Yankees invade for three starting Friday night.
KEY QUOTES
Trembley on his starter
"I liked the way Loewen competed tonight and I liked the way he pitched against a good lineup. He's made improvement and shut them down after the first. We'll win alot of games with him pitching like he did tonight..........Jim Johnson continues to be a plus for us."
Trembley on Contreras
"He didn't struggle tonight. It doesn't matter what you've done before. He threw all his pitches for strikes, changed speeds well and got the benefit of some calls.
Did the O's hitters help Contreras ???
"He shows different arm angles and doesn't throw the same pitch back to back. When he's on he forces you to expand the zone a bit. We got some pitches to hit and hit line drives, that's baseball. He's real tough right against right."
Loewen on his outing
"I wasn't comfortable with my fastball. That can be a scary thing, that's what everything else comes off of. By the 5th I wasn't throwing it much. I want to get that back and be consistent with my fastball and everything else will fall in place."
Millar asked if he's concerned about the offense ???
"They're throwing good games at us. Marcum last night and Contreras tonight. We're not going to quit fighting now. We don't do that in this clubhouse. We're going to come out tomorrow and try to win a ballgame."
IN GAME BLOG
SOX CHANGE PITCHERS
Righty Scott Linebrink on in the last of the 8th with Sox up 3-1.
Contreras' line: 7ip, 4h, 1r-er, 0b, 6k.....91 pitches, 64 strikes.
He retired the side in order five times.
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Tough day and night for some O's starters in the minors.
AAA Radhames Liz allows 5er in 5ip vs. Louisville. His ERA is now 7.98
AA David Hernandez allows 4er in 4.1ip as Erie beats Bowie
A Frederick's Brandon Erbe gives up 6er and 9 hits in 5.1ip vs. Salem.
Zach Britton did throw well for Delmarva, giving up just 1er over 5.1ip vs. Hagerstown. His ERA is now 2.35.
HOMER NOTE
If it seems like the Orioles are giving up a lot of homers, they are. Beginning tonight, the O's staff had given up the long ball 17 times. Only Cleveland, with 18 homers allowed, served up more in the AL. Jim Thome made it 18 for the O's in the first.
On the other hand, White Sox pitching has allowed just four all season, the fewest in the major leagues. The Sox have allowed just one HR their last 8 games.
PITCHING CHANGE
Sox 3 O's 1....end of six.
Jim Johnson comes on to start the 7th. Adam Loewen goes six tonight, pretty good after his 27-pitch first inning. He's still walking too many, but he has kept his team in the game and got pretty deep into this game.
Loewen's line: 6ip, 6h, 3r-er, 5b, 3k, 1 HR......109 pitches, 60 strikes.
After getting to Contreras for a run in the fourth, the O's go down in order vs. him in the 5th and 6th.
THE OUTFIELD ASSIST
The O's had three in their first 14 games, they have two tonight. The top of the 5th ended with O's LF Luke Scott throwing a runner out at home. He got Orlando Cabrera at the plate on AJ Pierzynski's single.
Earlier in the game, Nick Markakis threw out a runner from right field going to third base.
Sox still leading 3 to 1, after five frames.
O'S SCRATCH OUT A RUN
Sox 3 O's 1....end of four
O's scored in the 4th on an RBI infield single to deep third base by Aubrey Huff. That was the last place they expected him to hit it. With one out, singles by Markakis and Millar put runners on the corners for Huff.
The rally could have been bigger but Luke Scott and Adam Jones were retired with two men on base.
At least the O's ARE having better swings second time thru the order vs. Contreras.
THE (LACK OF) HITTING AGAIN
Sox 3 O's 0.....end of three
We've detailed enough the past few days about the O's recent lack of hitting. But tonight it looks like they've had some shaky at bats vs. Jose Contreras, who was mediocre his first two starts.
He got Adam Jones and Ramon Hernandez to try and pull down and away breaking pitches and they rolled over ground balls to the infield. That's playing into his hands. Let's see if the O's adjust to Contreras second time thru the order.
So far tonight they are 1-10 at bat.
MORE THOME
Sox 3 O's 0.......bottom of the third
He adds a double in the third and is 2-2 tonight........he ended a 43-at bat homerless stretch with his first inning blast........it was his 510th all time homer.......he needs one more to tie Mel Ott for 21st on the all-time list........This year he is 2-29 vs. right handers, but is 7-18 vs. lefties........if he gets another homer tonight, it will be his 42nd career multi-homer game.
BAD START FOR LOEWEN
Sox 3 O's 0.......after one inning
Terrible start for Adam Loewen as Nick Swisher led off with a single, Orlando Cabrera walked and Jim Thome rifled a three-run homer to right center. Down 3-0 after three batters. Thome, who was in a 5-43 slump, hits his third of the year, but first homer since opening day. It went 400 feet.
It's his 24th career homer in his 371st career at bat vs. O's pitching.
Loewen threw 27 pitches, 15 for strikes, in the first inning.
O's go down in order in the first vs. Contreras
PLAY BALL !!!
The Orioles and White Sox are underway. First pitch was at 7:06pm and its 66 degrees at gametime. Check back all night for updates and commentary.
PRE-GAME NOTES FROM CAMDEN YARDS
Since beginning the year with two losses, Chicago has won 8 of 11 games. The Chisox just split a two-game series with Oakland, winning 4-1 last night. The Sox have played Detroit six times already, winning five vs. the Tigers.
The Orioles have been in first place most of this season, but begin today tied for second, a half-game back of Boston. This is game three of a weeklong, seven-game homestand. The Birds are 1-1 on the stand, and are 6-2 at home this year.
Last night, O's pitching allowed season highs in runs and hits in an 11-3 loss to Toronto as the clubs split a two-game series.
The Orioles were 5-3 vs. the Sox in 2007, winning the season series for the first time since 1999.
TONIGHT'S ORIOLES LINEUP
2B Brian Roberts (.308-1-5)
3B Melvin Mora (.255-3-6)
RF Nick Markakis (.326-2-5)
1B Kevin Millar (.231-2-7)
DH Aubrey Huff (.245-2-11)
LF Luke Scott (.386-1-6)
CF Adam Jones (.279-1-3)
C Ramon Hernandez (.167-2-8)
SS Brandon Fahey (.091-0-0)
P Adam Loewen
YANKEES SERIES
The pitching probables for this weekend's Yankee series:
Fri 7:05p Daniel Cabrera (0-0 5.94) vs. Phil Hughes (0-2 9.00)
Sat 7:05p Brian Burres (1-1 5.40) vs. Ian Kennedy (0-1 8.74)
Sun 1:35p Steve Trachsel (1-2 5.65) vs. Andy Pettitte (2-1 3.38)
Friday's game will be on MASN2HD and Saturday and Sunday on MASNHD.
MEETING WITH THE MANAGER
Whether he meant to do it or not, Dave Trembley has put some pressure on Adam Loewen to pitch deep into tonight's game. With Steve Trachsel going only 2.1 ip last night, the bullpen could use a long outing from a starter and soon.
"If we needed a good start out of somebody, it comes tonight from Loewen," Trembley said when he met with reporters before tonight's game. "We've had to use a lot of guys out of the bullpen of late, plus we're still rebounding from last week's doubleheader."
Trembley said Loewen had an excellent side session and has made an adjustment holding his hands up higher to try and get his arm quicker.
"We're hoping his fastball command is better. What has happened, he's had a couple of good innings in a row, then he can't find the plate. We need a quality start out of him tonight."
Once again Trembley talked aobut Loewen needing to build up innings and that the club feels he'll be better in June than he is now. Loewen is fine physically, Trembley re-iterated today.
As for Adam Jones moved up one spot to 7th in today's batting order, Trembley said this is not necessarily permanent and it's no big deal.
"I just put him up there, bat him behind Scott, see if we can get him some pitches to hit. I don't want to give him too much, but I don't think he's affected too much."
Late in his briefing, Trembley threw out the challenge to Loewen once again.
"It comes down to starting pitching for us, because if it doesn't, the rest of this homestand will take its toll. Tonight's a very significant game for us, and its on Loewen."
GAVIN FLOYD'S RETURN
Annapolis native and 2001 Mt.St.Joe grad Gavin Floyd will pitch in his hometown vs. the Orioles tomorrow night. On Saturday Floyd, who grew up in Severna Park, came within five outs of throwing the 17th no-hitter in White Sox history. But Detroit's Edgar Renteria ended his bid with a single in the 8th.
In two starts with the Sox, the 25-year-old Floyd is 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA.
"It's great to be home, see my parents, my brother and my grandmother."
Floyd grew up an O's fan and admired Cal Ripken but doesn't seem to feel pitching agasint the O's at Camden Yards tomorrow night, will be that big of a deal.
"It will be just another start. Thru pro ball and maturity you learn to block out extra things and just focus on the mitt. Enjoy it afterwards or hate it aferwards."
Floyd may not really want any part of a no-hitter. He said three times in the minors he had no-hitters late in games. Not only did he not finish any of the no-hitters, but he lost the game all three times.
He has good memories of growing up watching his hometown Birds.
"I grew up watching Cal Ripken, he was someone I admired. Of course, as a kid I wanted one day to be in the orange and black."
But the Phillies picked ahead of the O's in the 2001 draft and took Floyd with the fouth pick in round one. He struggled in 19 career starts with Philly, but was traded to Chicago before last season.
In 2007, in ten Sox starts, he went 1-5 5.27.
This year he's pitching like the first-round pick he once was and seems poised to have a big year in what's already a solid Sox rotation.
MORE SOX NOTES
The Sox have scored 5.77 runs per game, that leads the AL.......Last year they were last in the league in runs scored.........Their .990 fielding percentage is second in the league, the O's are 3rd at .986..........Sox are 36-23 vs. the O's since 2000..........Chisox pitching has worked to an ERA of 0.50 the past three games, allowing 3 runs on 24 hits in 36 innings.
MOUND MATTERS
Adam Loewen (0-0 7.45) makes his third start of the season and second at home, tonight. Last Thursday he allowed four runs in five innings in game two of a doubleheader at Texas. In his first start, he gave up 4er in 4.2 ip April 5th vs. Seattle.
The 24-year-old Loewen has never faced the White Sox.
Cuban Jose Contreras (0-1 6.17) is the scheduled pitcher for Chicago. In 11.2ip so far, he has given up 16 hits and seven walks.
Last year Contreras had a poor season, with a record of 10-17 and 5.57 ERA. He was second in the AL in losses. Just two years ago, Contreras was an all-star.
Last year he was 0-2 9.00 vs. Baltimore, giving up 18 hits in 11 frames. In his career vs. the Birds, he is 3-4 5.50, allowing 9 homers in 52.1 ip.
Kevin Millar is 8-18 with two homers vs. Contreras while Brian Roberts hits .346 (9-26) vs. the right hander.
SOX PROFILE
Chicago is 4th in the AL in ERA and, despite a team batting average only 12th best in the league, is 3rd in runs scored. The Sox have won four strait road games. They have recently gotten exceptional starting pitching, their starters working to an ERA of 0.75 the past four games.
Oakland scored its only run in the 9th inning yesterday or Chicago would have three shutouts in its last four games. Baltimore product Gavin Floyd nearly pitched a no-hitter on Saturday and is scheduled to start Thursday vs. the O's.
O'S ON A 2-5 SLIDE
Why have the O's lost 5 of 7 games ? Their offense has cooled for one reason. The team average is .231 during the seven-games and the club has scored 22 runs in that time.
Meanwhile, the team ERA is 6.70 the past five contests and the Orioles have given up ten or more runs twice in the last five. The ERA for the season is up to 4.80, its highest mark since April 4th.
MORE NOTES FROM AN 11-3 LOSS
The team ERA rose from 4.30 to 4.80 after the O's allowed season highs in runs (11) and hits (16). The Jays had ten hits in 17 at bats with runners in scoring position as they scored in five different innings and had three players with 2 or more RBI.
Both teams had four extra-base hits in the game, but Toronto added 12 singles to Baltimore's two. It was a slow, painful loss for the Birds. The time of game of 3:19 was the longest this season. The Orioles tied a season-high hitting three homers. They also did that April 4 vs. Seattle.
You should mention that Contreras was
the ace Cuban pitcher when the Orioles
played the Cuban national team a few years
ago.