The Orioles are busting out the brooms here in the fourth series of the season!
Baltimore’s 5-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday afternoon marked their first series sweep of an opponent in 2026.
And it was necessary, after they dropped three straight to the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend.
After another dreaded second inning from starter Kyle Bradish, who has allowed six of his eight earned runs on the season in the second inning, Baltimore stared at an early 2-0 deficit. It looked like it was about to be much worse, but Bradish induced a clutch double-play ball with one out and the bases full of Sox.
Even the small deficit though, was not encouraging sign, given the offensive inefficiency of the season thus far, struggles that had continued over the first two by Lake Michigan. In the first two games against Chicago, the O’s scored just one run before the fifth inning.
You can leave it to Taylor “Two Bags” Ward to save the day, though.
Ward seized the series finale with ferocity, hitting 4-for-5 while slicing three doubles in the game, two of which drove in a run.
Ward, our Player of the Series for the second time this season, smacked a .500 average (6-for-12) with five doubles, three RBIs and a walk across the three-game stint against Chicago.
The former Los Angeles Angels outfielder, who now has a .383 average on the season, has proven to be an effective one-year addition by general manager Mike Elias through the early stages of the campaign.
Bradish finished the game having allowed two earned runs in five innings, though a sloppy double error by the 29-year-old on a throw back from catcher Adley Rutschman allowed Chicago a third run. His seven strikeouts in the game brought his season total up to a team-leading 17.
The White Sox had some costly miscues of their own, as a passed ball by catcher Reese McGuire allowed Pete Alonso to score and tie the game at three a piece.
Dylan Beavers, who anchored down center field for the first time this season, drove in Tyler O’Neill on a sacrifice fly later that inning to give the O’s their first lead of the game.
An RBI double from Ward in the ninth inning set up veteran reliever Rico Garcia nicely to make the first save of his seven-year big league career.
For the second consecutive season, Baltimore’s first series sweep of the season has come against the White Sox.
The only difference? Last year’s sweep of Chicago came in late May. This time around, it’s early April.
Maybe this team is different from the 2025 squad.
O’s superstar shortstop Gunnar Henderson also made the sweep possible, notching his third and fourth home runs of the season in the first two games of the series. Henderson finished the three-game stint hitting 4-for-12 (.333) with three RBIs and four runs.
It didn’t come easy, however.
Baltimore became the fourth team this season to sweep an opponent while scoring five or fewer runs in each game, joining the Texas Rangers, Cincinnati Reds, and Miami Marlins.
That should tell you enough about how sluggish the team’s bats were from start to finish.
Heading into the second game, White Sox starter Shane Smith had a 19.29 ERA, allowing 10 earned runs in his first 4 ⅔ innings pitched.
What did he do in his start against the O’s?
He recorded eight strikeouts in the first nine outs of the game, including all six outs of the first two innings.
The team also left a season-high 14 runners on base against Chicago on Tuesday.
Despite all the batting woes, the punch from Henderson and Ward propelled them to a 4-2 victory, clinching their second series win of the new campaign.
In Monday night’s windy affair, the O’s hit 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position before squeezing out a 2-1 series opening win.
Baltimore’s pitching told the story in that one, starting with an electric five inning outing from Brandon Young, who was spontaneously called up to make the series opener start. Young allowed just two hits while keeping Chicago off the scoreboard before making his return to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides the following day.
Salute to him!
Trevor Rogers delivered another elite performance in the following game, tossing six innings while allowing just two runs. Baltimore’s ace recorded six strikeouts in the game and brought his season ERA down to 1.89.
Closer Ryan Helsley recorded his third and fourth saves of the season during the series, striking out three batters and walking three more in the process.
For Chicago, they have to wait until June 29 for another chance at beating the O’s for the first time since September 2024. Baltimore has now won 11 straight games against the White Sox.
Key Takeaways
Taylor Ward is that guy.
Baltimore’s 32-year-old left fielder, who has started all 12 of the team’s games thus far, has been its most efficient hitter by far.
Ward, who currently has a league-leading nine doubles, has notched two different four-hit games in his 12-game stint as an Oriole.
For context, he did not achieve that once in his time with the Angels.
“It must be something in the water,” Ward said jokingly after the game.
The kind of spark that this Baltimore lineup desperately needed, he is currently on a four-game hitting streak, all of which include a double.
We’ll take the sweep, but this is not a sustainable way to win games.
Baltimore swept the White Sox, but still failed to look convincing at the plate.
The team slightly improved its series strikeout average, dropping from 10.3 against the Pirates to 9.0 against Chicago, but they hit 5-for-29 (.172) with runners in scoring position and left a combined 25 runners on base across the series.
Two Orioles, Henderson and Rutschman, recorded three-strikeout games during the series.
The offensive incompetence still looms large despite the three-game sweep, and it needs fixing as Baltimore enters a slightly tougher part of its schedule.
The bullpen is starting to settle in…maybe.
You never want to jinx it, but the Orioles bullpen had a strong showing against the White Sox.
Is that because it’s the White Sox? Possibly.
But, the performance cannot be denied.
Garcia was lights out in the series, pitching two innings and recording his first career save. He allowed no runs, two walks, and struck out three hitters.
O’s lefty Grant Wolfram also had a compelling stint, allowing just one hit and recording three punch outs across 1 ⅔ innings against the White Sox.
It’s too early to tell, mainly because Baltimore’s past bullpen inconsistency leaves room for heaps of skepticism, but the unit is gaining some momentum as the season progresses.
Hopefully, they, like the rest of the squad, carry it into the upcoming homestand.
