O's lose big to Chicago in series opener at Camden Yards

Some nights a team puts up a good fight and loses. Some nights they lose and look bad doing so.

The Orioles very much experienced the latter tonight as they lose 12-2 to the Chicago White Sox to fall to 8-16 overall and to 1-10 at home. They've lost six of seven and 15 of 19 since their 4-1 start.

The Orioles saw their starter give up four runs in the fifth, two relievers allowed four runs each, they made two errors in the field, had a runner picked off third with the bases loaded and went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

For the third time this year and 12th in team history, a position player pitched. Jesús Sucre threw a 1-2-3 ninth and joined Hanser Alberto and Chris Davis taking the mound. It was Sucre's sixth career pitching appearance.

Right-hander David Hess, hit hard by Tampa Bay in his last start, was rolling at the outset tonight. He fanned two batters in the first, one on a 95 mph fastball. He didn't allow a hit until the third and had a shutout through four on 44 pitches.

Then the bottom fell out.

The fifth started with a double by Tim Anderson, who began the game batting .418. A walk followed and then James McCann blasted a three-run homer to left on a 1-2 slider that found too much of the plate. Later in the inning, José Abreu's RBI single made it 4-0.

In the White Sox seventh they scored four times off Tanner Scott, who had a dominating outing just Saturday. Tonight, he allowed a two-run homer to the opposite field for Abreu. And shortstop Richie Martin's second error in two innings led to a pair of unearned runs.

In the eighth, Miguel Castro allowed five hits and four runs and threw three wild pitches while getting just two outs as the lead grew to 12-1. His ERA is at 10.80 through 10 games. Abreu had a two-run single off him and finshed with a five-RBI night while McCann drove in four runs.

Down 4-0 in the home fourth, the O's had the bases loaded with one out when Renato Núñez got picked off at third base. Moments later Pedro Severino struck out to end the rally.

It was that kind of night for the home team.

Trey Mancini had a two-hit night and his RBI double in the fifth made it a 4-1 White Sox lead. It was his 14th RBI. But the Orioles scored four or less for the 14th time on the season and they are 1-13 in those games.