O's dig early hole, lose fifth straight to fall to .500

CHICAGO - It was one thing for the Orioles to lose big to the first-place New York Yankees. Not that it was acceptable, but the Yanks are a hot team with the second-best record in the league. But tonight the Orioles trailed big early and then lost 10-7 in Chicago to a White Sox team that began today with the American League's worst record.

Chicago knocked O's starter Wade Miley out during a four-run third inning on its way to the win at Guaranteed Rate Field to start a four-game series.

On top of another loss, the Orioles lost another player. First baseman Chris Davis flied out to end the top of the third and didn't take the field in the last of the inning. It was later announced he suffered a right oblique strain.

The Orioles, once 12 games over .500, fall to 31-31 with this loss. They drop to the .500 mark for the first time since ending 2015 at 81-81.

The Orioles have lost five straight and been outscored 54-16. They are 2-7 over their past nine games. Their road losing streak has reached 10 games. They are 4-18 their past 22 road games.

Chicago had lost nine of its last 11 to fall a season-high nine games over .500. But the Sox go to 27-35 after this win.

Miley gave up a two-run homer to White Sox catcher Kevan Smith - his first major league homer - to fall behind 2-0 in the second. He was knocked out during a four-run third.

Miley went 2 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and six runs on 53 pitches. Over his past two starts he has allowed 14 hits and 10 runs over five innings as his ERA jumped from 2.82 to 3.97. Ubaldo Jiménez replaced Miley and gave up three runs over 3 2/3 innings.

Over the past six games, O's starters have an ERA of 15.56, allowing 34 earned runs over 19 2/3 innings. O's pitching has allowed 106 runs the last 15 games. They keep putting the offense in an early hole and tonight it was 8-2 after the fourth inning.

The O's got a lot of early chances as Sox starter Mike Pelfrey walked five in the first three innings, but they hit into a double play in each of the first three innings and into four on the night.

But the offense did show late life against the Chicago bullpen. Down 10-2 in the eighth, the Orioles scored four to make it 10-6. Hyun Soo Kim had an RBI single and Trey Mancini hit a three-run homer to right. It was No. 10 for Mancini and just got out at 341 feet.

But in the end, the Orioles lost again as their starter put them at a big early deficit. In the second game of this series on Tuesday night, Alec Asher (2-4, 4.35 ERA) faces lefty Derek Holland (4-6, 3.99 ERA).