White Sox 3, Orioles 2
CHICAGO -- Jeff Samardzija didn't get credit for the win in his stat line, but the right-hander led the Chicago White Sox to their fourth straight victory Saturday at U.S. Cellular Field, a 3-2 win against the Baltimore Orioles.
Samardzija took a no-decision, but allowed just one run on three hits and struck out nine in his 7 2/3 innings of dominating work.
Right-hander Zach Putnam, who allowed a game tying two-run homer to Baltimore third baseman Manny Machado in the eighth, got the win thanks to a pinch-hit double in the eighth by J.B. Shuck, who plated Gordon Beckham with the winning run.
Right-hander David Robertson earned his 18th save and second in as many games, but was aided by Avisail Garcia's fantastic catch in right field for the second out in the ninth. Garcia leapt high to snare a ball hit by Orioles right fielder Chris Davis that would have tied the game, catching it over the fence and bringing it back.
Samardzija was also aided by a couple of great defensive plays earlier in the game. Each one kept Orioles center fielder Adam Jones off the bases and allowed Samardzija to breeze through the first six innings. He didn't allow a hit until a single to center with two outs in the sixth by second baseman Ryan Flaherty and struck out six to that point, including all three he faced in the third.
His teammates provided an early 1-0 lead in the first with a run on three hits off Baltimore right-hander Chris Tillman and tacked on another run in the fifth to make it 2-0. Designated hitter Jose Abreu went 2-for-4 and scored each of the White Sox's first two runs following extra-base hits.
Samardzija, meanwhile, cruised until the seventh, which was his toughest frame despite being his second inning with three strikeouts.
Designated hitter Jimmy Paredes and right fielder Chris Davis reached based with singles, separated by a strikeout of Jones, and they moved to second and third with two outs and a two strikes on a wild pitch to first baseman Chris Parmelee. It didn't rattle Samardzija, who fanned Parmelee on the next pitch to end the inning.
Tillman lasted just 4 2/3 innings and allowed 10 hits, which drove his pitch count up to 103 at the time of his departure. Right-hander Bud Norris (2-8), who took the loss, relieved him with two outs in the fifth. Norris threw 2 2/3 innings in his new role out of the bullpen.
It was Norris' first relief appearance of the season, after struggling in 11 starts. He handled the White Sox's lineup fairly easily until the eighth, when he walked Beckham to start the inning. Right-hander Darren O'Day relieved him and served up the double to Shuck.
In the top of the eighth, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado rewarded Norris by drilling the homer off Putnam to tie it 2-2 on the second pitch after Samardzija left the game.
NOTES: Orioles manager Buck Showalter said RHP Kevin Gausman will remain in the starting rotation, while RHP Bud Norris will work out of the bullpen. Gausman has made two starts this season. He threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings on Thursday against Texas and struck out seven. "This is just a bump in the road (for Norris)," Showalter said. "He's probably had tougher things happen to him in his life. Right now, I have confidence that he'll come in and do a job that we're going to be in need of, that's as important of a job as any." ... White Sox manager Robin Ventura said he is just trying something different by keeping 1B Jose Abreu in the second slot of the batting order. ... Showalter said LHP Wei-Yin Chen will likely start for the Orioles on Monday against the Minnesota Twins. ... Former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Jenks, who closed the final game of the White Sox's 2005 world championship, said he is officially retired.