Orioles hope to end skid against White Sox
CHICAGO -- The Baltimore Orioles will try to snap a five-game losing streak when they face the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.
Baltimore (31-31) has fallen to .500 for the first time this season after jumping to a 22-10 record to start the year. During their five-game losing streak, the Orioles have been outscored by a whopping margin of 54-16.
The Orioles' latest letdown came Monday in the form of a 10-7 loss to the White Sox. Three games remain in the series.
Orioles designated hitter Mark Trumbo said he and his teammates need to stay positive.
"You have to," Trumbo said. "This is going to end at some point. The sooner, the better. We're good ballplayers. We'll make the adjustment. We're going to have to go on a bit of a hot streak when we do get going, though. A lot of good ballclubs that we're going up against, and you can't lose too much ground."
Chicago (27-35) will look to stay hot at the plate after scoring double-digit runs for the first time since May 20. The White Sox are 1/3 against the Orioles this season.
Right fielder Avisail Garcia could be a key factor in whether the rest of the series goes well for the White Sox. Garcia went 2-for-5 with three RBI in the series opener and leads the team with 45 RBI this season.
"His approaches have been consistent," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "He's still seeing the ball very well and controlling the strike zone better. It's been a good run, and hopefully he adds to it as the season progresses."
Left-hander Derek Holland (4-6, 3.99 ERA) is scheduled to make his 13th start of the season for the White Sox. The 30-year-old started the season well but is coming off back-to-back meltdowns against the Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays. He is 0-2 with an 18.00 ERA (14 earned runs in seven innings) in his past two outings.
In nine career games (eight starts) against Baltimore, Holland is 5-2 with a 3.21 ERA. His most recent outing against the Orioles was June 20, 2016, when he gave up three runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Baltimore right-hander Alec Asher (2-4, 4.35 ERA) is scheduled to oppose the White Sox. The 25-year-old has a 1.62 ERA in nine relief appearances this season, but he is 1/3 with a 6.20 ERA in five games as a starter.
Asher has faced the White Sox as a relief pitcher once in his career. He pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings May 7.
The Orioles likely will be without first baseman Chris Davis, who left Monday's game because of a strained right oblique muscle. Davis is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Tuesday morning.
Davis' injury took place in the first game back for third baseman Manny Machado, who had missed the previous four games because of a sore left wrist. Machado went 2-for-4 in the series opener.
"We just keep going," Trumbo said when asked about the possibility of losing Davis for an extended period. "No one is going to feel sorry for us. We can't, either. We've got good players, and we'll find a way to get it done."
