Gibson allows 8 runs as Orioles lose 4th straight, drop 9 games under .500 with 9-3 loss to White Sox

BALTIMORE–What happened? Last Wednesday, Orioles manager Craig Albernaz pulled Trey Gibson from his start against the Los Angeles Angels after four innings and a 5-2 lead despite throwing only 66 pitches. The Orioles ended up losing, 7-6 in 10 innings

With Dean Kremer expected to start on Wednesday, Gibson made likely his final start on Tuesday night before a demotion to Triple-A Norfolk. The 24-year-old right-hander threw 78 pitches, but he didn’t even finish three innings.

Gibson allowed eight runs on seven hits and walked six in 2 2/3 innings as the Orioles lost their four straight, 9-3 to the Chicago White Sox before 17, 581 at Camden Yards. The loss dropped the Orioles nine games below .500 for the first time this season during a 1-4 homestand.

The White Sox (45-39) broke a 1-1 tie by scoring seven third-inning runs against Gibson (1-3), whose ERA soared from 5.64 to 7.36.

Seven straight batters reached and scored. Colson Montgomery hit a 440-foot two-run home run that landed. Eutaw Street. Jacob Gonzalez had a two-run single and Junior Pérez hit a three-run home run.

Gibson walked three in the third. He also walked three in the first when Andrew Benintendi’s double scored Kyle Teel.

Manager Craig Albernaz tried to look for positives in Gibson, who started for the seventh time.

“He didn’t have his best stuff, didn’t have his best command, obviously, with the six walks, but he didn’t give up,” Albernaz said. “ He kept on going out there and he was just trying to get outs, and there was no … did not concede at all.

“And that’s something where, days like this are gonna happen, especially for young pitchers. Sometimes it’s tough to realize that, but the way he went out and still competed, it’s something that he should hang his hat on. This is a tough league. He’s had some good starts, and he had a [bad] start tonight. That’s all a great learning experience for him, and he’ll be better for it moving forward.”

If the Orioles lose on Wednesday, they’ll have the identical record (39-49) they had last season.

“There’s three months left,” Albernaz said. “When you play every day and you’re not playing your best baseball, it seems like a daunting task. And that’s why you have to take each day at a time and attack each day, go out there, compete, be prepared, because when you look up, you don’t know what’s going to happen.

“The easiest thing to do is to throw in a towel and concede, and that’s something that our guys don’t have in that clubhouse. They’re fighting, competing every single day, and we just need to string together some good innings of baseball. We’ve shown that we can do it, and now it’s actually going out there and doing it consistently.”

They scored three runs in five innings against Erick Fedde (3-6). Samuel Basallo had an RBI single in the first, Dylan Beavers an RBI double and Pete Alonso a run-scoring single in the fifth.

Gonzalez doubled off Josh Walker in the fourth to give Chicago a 9-1 lead.

Tyler Schweitzer pitched four scoreless innings for his first save.

How did Gibson react? Gibson believes that he is a major leaguer.

“First off, I truly believe that I have the stuff to compete in the big leagues, but I think the biggest thing is getting in the strike zone,” Gibson said.  “Obviously, walking guys, hitters, these hitters, are going to tighten up their strike zone. It’s a hard hill to climb.”

What does Alonso think? After difficult losses, Alonso has become the go-to guy for a summation. Nine days before, the Orioles took two of three from the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Alonso thought they were ready for a charge. Instead, they’ve lost six of eight.

“There’s really no difference,” Alonso said. “It’s just a matter about what’s happening in game. It’s just the game execution. We gotta play better. We gotta take accountability as a group and this is 100 percent on us as players. We just gotta do a better job.”

What does it mean? The Orioles hope that when Gibson returns, he’ll be a more polished pitcher and learn from games like this one.

What’s the stat of the day? 11-16. The Orioles finished June with a losing record.

What’s the word? “The front office and ownership is doing everything that they possibly can to put the right people in the right spot and give people the best runway for success. As the starting nine and whoever comes in the game, we’ve just got to do a better job. That’s what it just boils down to. We’ve got to play better baseball. It’s as simple as that.”-Alonso on management’s support of the team.

What’s going on in the minor leagues? Trace Bright allowed an unearned run on four hits in six innings in Norfolk’s 3-1 loss to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

In his first rehab assignment, Yaramil Hiraldo allowed a solo home run in one inning, walking one, throwing 20 pitches, nine strikes. in High-A Frederick’s 5-3 loss to Brooklyn. Hiraldo is on the 60-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Caden Hunter started and pitched five shutout innings, giving up four hits and striking out six.

Single-A Delmarva right-hander Esteban Mejia, the Orioles’ No. 6 prospect, has been put on the development list. Mejia is 0-5 with an 8.08 ERA. He’s walked 57 in 42 1/3 innings with the Shorebirds. He’ll be able to work on a specialized throwing program without pitching in games while remaining with Delmarva.

The Shorebirds lost to Charleston, 5-0.

Right-hander Harlin Naut, who was pitching for the Florida Complex League Orioles, had Tommy John surgery by Dr. Leigh Ann Curl in Baltimore. The team said the surgery was successful.

What’s next? Neither the Orioles nor the White Sox have announced a starter for Wednesday’s afternoon game. The Orioles are expected to start Dean Kremer (0-1, 4.09), who’s been on the 60-day injured list with a strained right quadriceps muscle, while Chicago is expected to start Noah Schultz (3-4, 5.82), who’s been on the 15-day injured list with right knee patellar tendinitis. Game time is 12:35.

Call for questions: Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com