The Orioles and the road have not mixed in 2017. After getting swept in a horrible weekend in New York, the 2017 Orioles are 31-30 overall, with an almost unbelievable 10-20 on the road. I am starting a petition to have all major league games played in Camden Yards. It’s the best stadium, so why not?
The Orioles continue their road trip as the head to the South Side of Chicago to play the White Sox for a four-game set and are desperate for anything to turn this tailspin around. The White Sox are 26-35, but have been decent at home, starting the season 12-11 at home.
The Orioles swept the White Sox earlier this year in the first week of May in Camden Yards. For Orioles’ sake, they better hope for a similar result in this series if they want 2017 to be a competitive year.
Game 1: Wade Miley (2-3, 3.27 ERA) vs. Mike Pelfrey (2-5, 3.80 ERA)
Miley had one of his worst outings of the year in last start. That outing saw him last only 2.2 innings against the Pirates, giving up four runs on eight hits and two walks.
Miley is one of the few reasons the Orioles have been able to stay afloat for this long. The last time he faced the White Sox, he was struck by two line drives very early in the game and left early.
In his career, Miley has a 5.81 ERA against the White Sox in 19.1 innings pitched over six games and five starts.
Pelfrey has put together a decent campaign for the White Sox considering his career ERA is 4.54. The Orioles rotation would certainly take him at this point. The 33-year-old right-handed pitcher took the loss against the Rays his last time out. He gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits, three walks, and four strike outs over 5.1 innings.
In five career starts against the Orioles, Pelfrey has posted a 4.23 ERA in 27.2 innings surrendering only one home run.
Game 2: Alec Asher (2-4, 4.35 ERA) vs. Derek Holland (4-6, 3.99 ERA)
The 30-year-old Holland is putting together a decent campaign for the White Sox, again another pitcher the Orioles would take right now. Holland lost his last game to the Rays, giving up six runs on nine hits, three walks, and two strike outs over 4.2 innings. Holland has faced the Orioles nine times in his career and has a 3.21 ERA over 53.1 innings pitched.
The Orioles in game two are putting out Alec Asher. The 25-year-old Asher struggled mightily in his last start against the Nationals pitching only four innings while giving up five runs on seven hits four walks and six strikeouts. Asher had only issued eight walks in 2017 prior to his last start. I am sorry that I wrote about how he deserves his spot in the rotation. My curse continues.
Asher has pitched against the White Sox in 2017, but it was out of the bullpen. He gave up only five hits and no runs in 3.1 innings of work back on May 7th, a 4-0 Orioles win.
Game 3: Dylan Bundy (6-5, 3.05 ERA) vs. Miguel Gonzalez (4-7, 4.89 ERA)
Dylan Bundy has been the only positive thing on the Orioles pitcher front all year long and without him this team would be dead in the water. Bundy took the loss his last time out in that disastrous series up in the Bronx. Bundy pitched six innings giving up three runs on five hits, though two of them were home runs, over six innings of work.
Bundy faced the White Sox earlier in 2017 going six innings in the win giving up three runs on six hits.
Old friend and my personal favorite Miguel Gonzalez is facing off against Bundy. The former Oriole started off 2017 extremely well, but has been knocked around recently, causing his ERA to balloon to 4.89. In his last outing he took the loss against Cleveland giving up four runs on six hits and four walks in 4.2 innings pitched.
Back on May 5th, he took the loss against the Orioles even though he gave up only two runs on six hits in 6.2 innings of work.
Game 4: Chris Tillman (1-4, 8.01 ERA) vs. David Holmberg (1-0, 2.74 ERA)
Holmberg had been primarily used out of the bullpen this year, but entered the rotation on May 29th and has made three starts. His last outing was his best and longest of the year as he got the win against the Indians giving up two runs on three hits in five innings of work. Holmberg has only faced the Orioles once in his career giving up no runs in one inning of work.
Chris Tillman’s 2017 has been the worst possibly outcome for the Orioles. His struggles are one of the biggest reasons the 2017 Orioles remain only barely above .500, for now.
Most of Tillman’s starts have been not great, but his last one against the Yankees was truly horrifying. Tillman pitched 1.1 innings giving up nine runs on seven hits and three walks while allowing three home runs. That’s right: he allowed ten base runners and nine of them scored.
Tillman has not yet faced the White Sox in 2017. For his career, Tillman has posted a 3.05 ERA against the White Sox over seven starts. In four starts on the South Side Tillman has posted a 2.66 ERA.
The Orioles need a series win to stop the bleeding. Join us here for game threads and more coverage as the Orioles hope to stay hungry and keep on grinding.
Poll
How many games will the Orioles win against the White Sox
This poll is closed
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15%
The Orioles will be swept
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26%
1
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29%
2
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18%
3
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9%
The Orioles will sweep