White Sox out-hit Orioles 11-5 but lose for fifth time in six games

BALTIMORE, Md. — Eloy Jimenez hit a home run in the first inning.

Yes, a home run! It was worth the exclamation point, it being the Sox’ second homer since Yoan Moncada’s meaningless blast when the Astros routed the Sox by 16 runs last Thursday.

But then the Orioles’ Ryan Mountcastle topped Jimenez’ two-run shot to right-center field by hitting a three-run homer to center field in the first against Dylan Cease, who hadn’t given up a multi-run homer since May.

After that, Cease resorted to his usual Cy Young contending form in a 5-3 Sox loss, facing the minimum 14 batters in a row into the sixth, when a leadoff walk in the sixth to Cedric Mullins, an errant pickoff attempt by Cease and a soft RBI single by Anthony Santander made it 4-2.

And the Sox resorted to their usual maddening form of late, leaving 13 runners on base and going 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position in the first eight innings.

Jimenez would exit the game after taking a 102-mph fastball from closer Felix Bautista off his left elbow bad, which loaded the bases for Jose Abreu. Bautista, going for a five-out save, struck out Abreu with a full count on a 100-mph fastball above the strike zone.

Of course he did. It was that kind of night of futility for the Sox, who out-hit the Orioles 11-5 but lost for the fifth time in six games.

Entering the game, the Sox’ .277 average was second in the majors. They were eighth with runners in scoring position (.264).

The resulte momentarily dropped the Sox to 3 1/2 games behind the AL Central leading Guardians, who played the Padres in a late game in San Diego.

The Sox had the leadoff hitter on base against Orioles righty Austin Voth in the second, fourth and fifth innings and had two on with one out in the third and did not score. Luis Robert, who had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 13 games, led off the fifth and seventh with doubles and finally scored on Andrew Vaughn’s two-out pinch single in the seventh.

Cease, pitching on six days rest and possibly showing rust from the long layoff caused by Sunday’s rainout in Cleveland and the decision to keep Michael Kopech in rotation Monday, threw 27 pitches in the first, and only 13 were strikes. His fastball command wasn’t sharp, and he hung a slider to Mountcastle.

After that, Cease (2.27 ERA) was fine, but he logged just 5 1/3 innings on 93 pitches, allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Cease entered with an 8-3 record and 0.93 ERA in his last 15 starts.

The Sox fell to 14-26 in the first game of a series.

This and that

The Sunday postponed game against the Guardians in Cleveland has been rescheduled for Sept. 15 at 12:10 p.m. Chicago time.

*Leury Garcia, on the injured list with back and hip soreness, is working at full speed, he said, and expects to be activated when he’s eligible Saturday.

*Yasmani Grandal (knee) is walking around at a brisk pace and doing some baseball activities and “should be ready” when is eligible to come off the IL next Wednesday, La Russa said.

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