BALTIMORE (AP) - The Baltimore Orioles keep winning games despite losing pitchers.
Gabriel Ynoa pitched six sharp innings after starter Wade Miley was forced out of the game by the impact of two line drives, and Chris Davis hit a home run to help Baltimore beat the Chicago White Sox 4-2 on Friday night.
Miley left after being drilled by successive batters. First, he was struck in the left wrist by a shot off the bat of Jose Abreu. Two pitches later, Avisail Garcia ripped a comebacker that hit Miley high on the left thigh and knocked him off his feet.
That ended Miley’s night after 12 pitches. He got only two outs, the shortest outing of his career. The Orioles later announced his injury as a left wrist contusion.
“I kind of wanted to stay out there, but I guess they were kind of nervous about how many more were going to come my way,” Miley said. “I think I’m fine.”
It wasn’t the first time the baseball has found Miley on the mound. He was struck in the calf by a line drive in Texas last August and hit in the arm during an exhibition game this spring.
“I got to get out of the middle right there,” he said.
Miley may be OK, but closer Zach Britton evidently is not. After being sidelined for a little over two weeks with a left forearm strain, the left-hander returned from the disabled list Tuesday but was unavailable Friday and could be headed back to the DL with the same injury.
Britton felt discomfort in the arm Friday morning and had an MRI in the evening.
“Just trying to gather all the information as to which direction to go,” manager Buck Showalter said.
In spite of going without Britton for weeks and having the rotation thrown off kilter by Kevin Gausman’s early ejection Wednesday, the Orioles are 18-10 and in second place in the AL East.
Making his Baltimore debut, Ynoa (1-0) gave up six hits, walked none and struck out five. Purchased in February from the New York Mets, Ynoa pitched in the minors this season before joining the Orioles on Thursday.
“He did what he needed to do,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “I know they’ve been strapped for a little bit of pitching, but he did a nice job.”
Brad Brach, the last of four Baltimore relievers, gave up a run in the ninth but earned his sixth save.
Making his first start in Baltimore since leaving the Orioles in April 2016, Miguel Gonzalez (3-2) allowed two runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander is 0-2 in two career starts against his former team.
“Everything was going on in my head,” he said. “This is where I started my career in the big leagues. The Orioles gave me the opportunity, but now I’m with the White Sox and I’m doing a good job. I’m happy to be here.”
Gonzalez plunked Jonathan Schoop with the bases loaded in the first inning and gave up a solo shot to Davis in the third.
Garcia drove in a run with a groundout in the eighth. In the bottom half, Joey Rickard hit an RBI double and another run scored on an error.
KEEP IT CLEAN
The Orioles posted a new message on the scoreboard in the wake of the racist remarks Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones said were directed toward him at Fenway Park in Boston this week. The message, which was also read by the public address announcer, was: THREATENING LANGUAGE or any type of HATE SPEECH will NOT BE TOLERATED and will result in EJECTION from the ballpark.
ROSTER MOVE
Baltimore bolstered its overworked bullpen by recalling RHP Stefan Crichton from Triple-A Norfolk and optioning RHP Tyler Wilson to the same club.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: 3B Todd Frazier missed a second straight start with back tightness.
Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman (shoulder bursitis) worked on the side Friday and is expected to come off the DL on Sunday for his 2017 debut.
UP NEXT
White Sox: Still in search of his first major league victory, rookie Dylan Covey (0-2, 7.29 ERA) makes his fifth start of the season Saturday night.
Orioles: Dylan Bundy (4-1, 1.82 ERA) seeks to extend two streaks: He’s won three straight decisions and has pitched at least six innings in each of his six starts this year.
___
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
Please read our comment policy before commenting.