The Orioles faced their first below .500 team tonight in the Chicago White Sox since the All Start Break, and will not face one above .500 until September 12. They have a chance to really run away with the East, and they showed why tonight.
Hardy homered early, making it 1-0. Pearce, who seems to be turning it on again, doubled in another run to make it 2-0. Cruz soon followed with a blast of his own, making it 3-0 O’s.
Bud Norris pitched masterfully tonight. He faced the minimum amount of White Sox until the 7th, when he gave up a two out, two run single, after nearly escaping a two on, no out jam. After shredding the lead, Connor Gillespie hit a liner destined to give the Sox the lead, but here came Nick Markakis to save the day. He leaped over the wall and robbed Gillespie of the homer, maintaining the O’s lead.
The following inning, Jonathan Schoop blew it open, clearing the bases with two outs off former Orioles Matt Lindstrom, making it 6-2 O’s. The next hitter, Markakis, added two his two hits, hitting a lasor shot two right, for an 8-2 lead, which would end up as the final score.
The Orioles gained .5 a game on the idle Jays, and Yankees, but the story tonight in Nick Markakis. Easily the most consistent Oriole, to me the Most Valuable Oriole, and probably the best right fielder, Markakis just continues to impress. He never gets much attention nationally, but O’s fans know how key he is. Come October, the whole country will be in for a treat with these Birds.