This story was originally published by Dead Spin
The Baltimore Orioles have done enough to enter the final four weeks of the regular season with plenty on the line.
Still, it hasn’t been an extraordinary or thrilling stretch recently for the Orioles, who begin a six-game homestand Monday afternoon with the opener of a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox.
The timing might be just right for the Orioles (79-59) to make a move and a set against the White Sox (31-107) might aid the cause. Chicago broke the single-season franchise record for losses on Sunday.
Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said, “We’ve been grinding for a couple months and it’s not been easy and every game seems difficult. We’re winning some close ones. We’re losing some close ones. I’d like to try to find some consistency. It’s hard right now, but we’re just looking for some spark to kind of get it going to get on a little bit of a run.”
The Orioles beat the Colorado Rockies 6-1 on Sunday in Denver to complete a 3-3 road trip. Baltimore sits a half-game behind the first-place New York Yankees (79-58) in the American League East.
“This is what you train for all offseason,” Baltimore catcher James McCann said. “This is what you plan for all season long is this month — the last 30 days of the season, competing for a division title and competition for a playoff spot.”
The Orioles, who went 5-5 in August home games, will try to maintain their focus on what they can control now that they are back in Baltimore.
“It’s human nature to watch what other teams are doing,” McCann said. “At the end of the day, we know that we still have to take care of our business. If we take care of our business, we’re going to be where we need to be in 24 games.”
The White Sox have shown no signs of shedding their historic misery, losing their past 10 games. It is Chicago’s third double-digit losing streak of the year.
Chicago fell 2-0 to the visiting New York Mets on Sunday, the only shutout during the latest skid, but it capped an 0-10 homestand nonetheless.
“There’s no sense in harping over the record right now,” interim manager Grady Sizemore said. “We’re trying to just improve upon every day and get better as each series goes on.”
The Orioles swept four games from the White Sox in late May in Chicago. The White Sox now arrive in Baltimore to begin a six-game road trip that will end in Boston.
Baltimore has AL All-Star starting pitching Corbin Burnes (12-7, 3.23 ERA) lined up to start in the series opener.
Facing the White Sox might be the tonic that Burnes needs. He is 0-3 across his past four starts, having allowed a total of 23 runs (17 earned) and 27 hits while compiling a 7.40 ERA during that stretch. On May 24, Burnes got a no-decision after giving up three runs in six innings against the White Sox.
Burnes is 1-0 with a 4.64 ERA in four career matchups, including three starts, vs. Chicago.
White Sox right-hander Chris Flexen (2-13, 5.29 ERA) will attempt to halt an ugly skid. Chicago has lost each of his past 20 outings, and he is 0-10 with a 5.66 ERA in that span.
Flexen had a no-decision against Burnes and Baltimore early in the streak, when he permitted four runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings on May 24.
–Field Level Media
