Villar, Orioles beat White Sox 5-4 in doubleheader opener
CHICAGO (AP) — Jonathan Villar hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly, and the Baltimore Orioles stopped a four-game slide by rallying for a 5-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday in the opener of a doubleheader.
Richie Martin opened the eighth inning with a triple into the right-field corner off Kelvin Herrera (0-1). Villar then hit a fly ball to center, and Martin scored easily when Adam Engel’s throw landed up the third base line.
Branden Kline (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Mychal Givens got four outs for his second save in three chances, striking out Jose Abreu with a runner on first to end the game.
Chicago had won three in a row and four of six. Abreu extended his hitting streak to nine games and drove in two runs, but the White Sox blew a 4-0 lead.
Martin hit an RBI double as Baltimore chased Carlos Rodón with a three-run fourth. Dwight Smith Jr. tied it at 4 with a run-scoring double in the seventh.
The doubleheader was scheduled after Tuesday night’s game was postponed by rain.
The White Sox got off to fast start, taking advantage of three early errors by the Orioles. Abreu drove in Leury Garcia with a double in the first and a single in the third. Yoán Moncada scored when Yonder Alonso reached on an error on first baseman Renato Nunez, and Nicky Delmonico added an RBI single.
Abreu went 2 for 5. He is batting .475 (19 for 40) with 16 RBIs during his hitting streak.
Orioles right-hander David Hess allowed four runs, one earned, and four hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Rodón was charged with three runs and five hits in 3 2/3 innings.
HE’S HERE
Evan Marshall pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings in relief of Rodón in his White Sox debut. Marshall was promoted from Triple-A Charlotte before the doubleheader.
Marshall went 4-7 with a 5.15 ERA in 101 games with Arizona, Seattle and Cleveland over parts of the previous five seasons.
Right-hander Thyago Vieira was sent down to make room for Marshall, and then added to the roster again to serve as the 26th player for the second game.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: OF Trey Mancini returned after missing two games with a bruised right index finger. He went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. … Manager Brandon Hyde said RHP Alex Cobb (lower back) continues to undergo therapy in Baltimore.
White Sox: RHP Lucas Giolito (left hamstring strain) could start Thursday in the opener of four-game series against Boston. Manager Rick Renteria said he would confirm his starter after Wednesday’s nightcap. … RHP Michael Kopech, who underwent Tommy John surgery last September, was in Chicago for an examination. General manager Rick Hahn said last week the pitching prospect is on track to return at the start of spring training in 2020.
UP NEXT
Baltimore RHP Andrew Cashner (4-1, 4.18 ERA) faces Chicago RHP Ivan Nova (0-3, 8.42 ERA) in the second game.
