Orioles can’t hold early lead as Kyle Gibson sputters in 10-5 loss to White Sox

BALTIMORE — The Orioles comfortably won the first two games of their series with the hapless Chicago White Sox thanks to a bevy of late scoring. The runs at last came early in Wednesday’s series finale, but they also went to waste.

Baltimore ended a strong homestand and month disappointingly, falling 10-5 to the White Sox in the club’s last game of August. Provided four first-inning runs, Orioles starter Kyle Gibson gave them right back in what devolved into another noncompetitive outing from the veteran right-hander.

Gibson has provided a quality start in eight of his past 15 appearances, including eight strong innings against the Toronto Blue Jays in his last time out. But in his other seven starts in that span, Gibson’s ERA is 10.70. On Wednesday, he allowed seven earned runs over 4 1/3 innings, giving up three home runs for the second time in four starts.

Gibson signed a one-year, $10 million contract over the winter to provide much-needed experience to Baltimore’s rotation and served as the Orioles’ opening day starter, but his up-and-down performance in recent months raises questions of whether he’s a viable starting option for the team in the postseason. In 16 games between Gibson’s struggles Wednesday and his nine-run start earlier this month in Seattle, the Orioles’ six-man rotation had generally excelled, with a 3.30 ERA. That success was generally carried by the young starters for whom the expanded rotation was deemed most helpful, with Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer — Baltimore’s presumed top options to open playoff games — putting up a 1.96 ERA over nine outings.

Wednesday’s loss left the Orioles (83-50) with a two-game lead in the American League East over the Tampa Bay Rays, who are scheduled to play in the evening. Baltimore holds an 11-game buffer for any playoff spot, pending the Blue Jays’ result.

Thanks to a diving play by rookie second baseman Jordan Westburg, Gibson worked a perfect first inning before the Orioles provided four runs of support in the bottom half. Chicago starter Dylan Cease, who has struggled in following last season’s runner-up finish in AL Cy Young Award voting, allowed an RBI double to Anthony Santander, run-scoring singles from Ryan O’Hearn and Adam Fraizer and a sacrifice fly by Westburg as the White Sox (53-81) played haphazard defense behind him.

Gibson quickly forfeited the lead, surrendering a pair of two-run homers in the second to Andrew Vaugh and Oscar Colas. It marked only the third time in 28 starts this year he allowed multiple home runs, and the third came in the third inning from Luis Robert Jr. to put Chicago ahead. Vaughn doubled in another run and scored on a single by Elvis Andrus.

By exiting with one out in the fifth, Gibson failed to complete that frame for the first time since his final start of June. He has been largely dependable for Baltimore, entering the day leading the AL in wins and starts, but he also surrendered nine more hits to leave him with a league-leading 172 allowed in 162 2/3 innings.

Cease, meanwhile, followed his rough first by allowing only one run on two hits over his next five innings. Santander’s third-inning home run — his fifth in the past eight games — brought the Orioles within 7-5, but the White Sox scored three runs in the sixth off Austin Voth, including two on triple by Tim Anderson on a ball that hopped past center fielder Cedric Mullins; the play was initially ruled an error on Mullins, who also made a fielding miscue on Andrus’ third-inning single.

Despite the loss, Baltimore ended the homestand 6-3, taking this series after also winning two of three against Toronto and the Colorado Rockies. With a day off Thursday before a nine-game road trip to Arizona, Anaheim and Boston, the Orioles finish August with an 18-9 record, matching April for their most wins in a calendar month this year.

Around the horn

— The Orioles were still without an update on All-Star closer Félix Bautista’s injured ulnar collateral ligament as of Wednesday morning, manager Brandon Hyde said. He added the Orioles could have more information “maybe sometime later this week.” Bautista was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday.

— All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman was out of the lineup for the first time since July 24, having started the previous 32 games. In that span, the 25-year-old hit second three times before batting leadoff in 29 straight games. He was the starting catcher 19 times and designated hitter 13 times. Rutschman pinch-hit for Jorge Mateo in the ninth inning Wednesday but grounded into a game-ending double play.

— Hyde said the Orioles are determining whether outfielder Aaron Hicks, on the 10-day IL since Aug. 19 with a low back strain, will need a rehabilitation assignment before rejoining the team. Hicks has been running at full speed and taking batting practice in recent days.

— Two Orioles minor leaguers who suffered head injuries Tuesday were placed on the injured list. Triple-A Norfolk outfielder Kyle Stowers broke his nose when a pitch hit him in the face, and Double-A Bowie infielder Max Wagner suffered a concussion when an errant throw hit him in the head.

— The Orioles are finalizing which two players they will add to their roster when it expands Friday, Hyde said. It’s likely those additions are one pitcher and one position player.

— Keivonn Woodard, a 10-year-old Bowie resident whose performance on HBO’s “The Last of Us” made him the first deaf Black actor and second-youngest actor to be nominated for an Emmy, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.