Andrew Vaughn played a role in a late big moment for the second straight night against the Baltimore Orioles.
The Chicago White Sox first baseman on Thursday was ruled out on an interference call near second base, part of a controversial ending in a loss.
On Friday, he hit a solo home run to even the score in the seventh inning.
“(Orioles reliever Yennier Cano has) got a demon sinker, it’s really good,” Vaughn said. “Just tried to go up there and make a good swing on a good pitch.”
The tie didn’t last long as the Orioles responded with two runs in the eighth and held on to beat the Sox 6-4 in front of 18,831 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Facing Michael Kopech, pinch hitter Adley Rutschman’s sinking liner landed just out of the reach of diving left fielder Andrew Benintendi for a two-run single to give the Orioles the lead.
“Kopech against Rutschman is what people pay to see,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “Kopech threw the ball well and Rutschman did a good piece of hitting.”
The Orioles sealed the victory when Colton Cowser jumped and robbed Tommy Pham of a home run at the center-field wall for the final out.
At 15-37, the Sox are off to their worst 52-game start in franchise history. They are 22 games under .500 for the first time this season.
The Sox fell behind 4-0 as starter Chris Flexen allowed four runs on five hits in 4⅔ innings.
“Third time in a row not being able to get through past the fifth, continue to put our bullpen in bad situations and put the team in a hole,” Flexen said. “Bad pitches and not executing in the right situations. I thought the last three all in the fifth inning just a lack of execution, digging myself a hole and that’s how the damage is coming.”
The Sox rallied against Corbin Burnes, who allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings. Vaughn’s homer off Cano tied it at 4.
Kopech entered with two on and two outs in the eighth to face Rutschman.
“We’ve got our power guy in there and they’ve got theirs,” Grifol said. “And he wasn’t shying away, he was throwing his fastball. He got to a 3-2 count and the ball kind of ran out a little bit over the plate and it was a good piece of hitting.
“That’s what the game’s about. (Benintendi) gave it a really good effort, just a couple inches short.”
And the Sox came up short for the second straight night.
“It’s gut-wrenching, but it’s baseball,” Vaughn said. “We’re going to give it our all every time we go out there.”
