The Baltimore Orioles bid to record their season-high fourth win in a row on Saturday afternoon when they play the third contest of a four-game series against the host Chicago White Sox.
The Orioles benefited from a dominant piecemeal performance from five pitchers to limit the White Sox to one hit in a 4-1 victory on Friday.
“So proud,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. “It’s pretty much a bullpen game with (starter Austin) Voth. We’re just stretching him out. Everybody who came in the game … no hits out of the ‘pen. No walks, no hits.
“It’s on the road against the White Sox. All (our) guys had great stuff, a lot of soft contact, a ton of strikes. Really aggressive. These guys are exceeding expectations and just really happy and proud of them.”
Voth was complimentary of the bullpen, which retired 18 straight batters after he exited following the third inning.
“The bullpen is just incredible right now,” Voth said. “It’s a lot of fun to watch. There’s a lot of great guys and they’re pitching great.”
The Orioles, who also won three in a row from May 8-10, have yielded just one run and 13 hits during their current three-game winning streak.
Hyde initially was going to send Kyle Bradish to the mound on Saturday, however the rookie right-hander was placed on the injured list on Friday due to inflammation in his pitching shoulder.
Right-hander Spenser Watkins (0-1, 6.00 ERA) was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday morning to start in Bradish’s place.
Watkins did not record a decision after allowing one run on four hits in 4 1/3 innings in his lone career encounter with Chicago, on July 11, 2021.
The White Sox are mired in a three-game losing skid. They will look to snap their slide on Saturday when they send veteran right-hander Lance Lynn (1-0, 5.79 ERA) to the mound.
Chicago certainly could use a boost from Lynn, who provides an emotional lift for the team.
“That energy, emotion, that drive is going to push everybody and lift everybody up. That’s Papa,” teammate Andrew Vaughn said of Lynn. “He’s been around the game for so long. He’s one of the best people I’ve ever met. He’s a competitor. He’s out on the mound doing his thing, throwing it. Same person every day.”
Lynn, 35, overcame allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits in five-plus innings to earn an 8-7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. He was making his second start of the season after being sidelined while recovering from right knee surgery.
Lynn owns a 3-1 record with a 3.31 ERA in seven career appearances (five starts) vs. Baltimore.
He’d be wise to tread carefully around rookie Adley Rutschman, who is 5-for-15 with four doubles, a homer, three RBIs and two runs during his four-game hitting streak.
Jake Burger recorded the lone hit for Chicago on Friday, an RBI double in the second inning. Burger has produced an extra-base hit in each of his past three games.
