With losses in seven of eight and 11 of the last 13 games, the Orioles (42-105) host the Chicago White Sox tonight in the second game of a three-game series. Chicago scored seven runs in the first five innings last night in an 8-6 win over Baltimore.
Trey Mancini put the Orioles on the board with a solo home run to lead off the second inning. He homered again in the fourth inning, another solo shot. This was Mancini's first multi-homer game of 2018 and the fifth of his career. He hit his 22nd and 23rd home runs, the most among active Orioles and one shy of his career high of 24, set last year. He is averaging .345 (30-for-87) in 23 home games since the All-Star break.
Center fielder Cedric Mullins went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and one RBI. He produced his seventh multi-hit game of the season and first since Aug. 31. Mullins has recorded a hit in 18 of 29 games in which he has had an at-bat. He's batting .308 (16-for-52) in 15 games at Oriole Park.
Corban Joseph entered the game as a pinch-hitter with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning. On a 3-2 pitch, he drove in a pair of runs with a single to center. It was his first career pinch-hit (was 0-for-4 with a walk in five prior pinch-hit plate appearances). It also marked his first career multi-RBI game, as Joseph had just one career RBI entering the at-bat. Infielder Breyvic Valera is batting .318 (7-for-22) in eight games for the Orioles.
On the mound tonight, right-hander Yefry RamÃrez (1-5, 5.94 ERA) will make his 10th start of the year and first since Aug. 19 at Cleveland, when he gave up seven hits and seven runs in three innings. His last four appearances have come out of the bullpen, three of them scoreless. In five bullpen games for the year, RamÃrez has a 1.50 ERA over 12 innings.
RamÃrez is 1-5 with a 7.34 ERA in his nine games as a starter. Over his last four starts he gave up 21 hits and 20 runs in 14 2/3 innings.
Right-hander Reynaldo López (5-9, 4.22 ERA) has made 29 starts for the White Sox. Over his last three starts he is 1-0 with an 0.90 ERA, allowing two runs in 20 innings with five walks and 22 strikeouts. In his most recent start, versus the Los Angeles Angels, he threw six scoreless with 10 strikeouts. That tied his season high. López has not recorded a decision in seven of his last eight starts.
Over his past 10 games since the All-Star break he is 1-2 with a 4.82 ERA, .231 batting average against and 1.27 WHIP. Lefty batters hit .222 against him and right-handed batters hit .258.
The White Sox are 58-89 and snapped a seven-game losing streak Wednesday, had Thursday off and beat the Orioles last night. Coming into this series, the Sox had scored four or fewer runs for nine straight games. They may have a poor record, but the White Sox are now 13-5 their past 18 road games. And they are 9-4 on the road versus the American League East in 2018, winning three of four series.