Orioles Fail to Cash in Opportunities

White Sox 4, Orioles 1

CHICAGO, Aug. 21 It is impossible to know how Orioles rookie starter David Hernandez would have reacted had he had a lead to protect after the top of the third inning. Perhaps it just wasn't going to be his night, regardless, and a couple of runs from his teammates weren't going to solve his command problems.

But there was no disputing the impact the third inning had on Chicago White Sox starter John Danks. The left-hander survived major command issues to get out of a bases-loaded-and-one-out jam, and was a completely different pitcher the rest of the way in the White Sox' 4-1 victory over the Orioles on Saturday night in front of an announced 34,730 at U.S. Cellular Field.

The Orioles (50-73) will get another chance to win their first series after the all-star break this afternoon, but the pitching matchup -- 11-game winner Mark Buehrle against 11-game loser Jason Berken -- is certainly not in their favor.

Then again, who would have predicted that a pitcher could walk five batters before getting a second out in the third inning and still not give up any runs? That's exactly the stunt Danks pulled Saturday night on his way to beating the Orioles for the third time in three chances this season.

Danks's fifth walk of the game, to Adam Jones, loaded the bases with just one out in the third. With his team leading 1-0 and Danks's pitch count approaching 60, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén had D.J. Carrasco getting ready in the bullpen. Presumably, Danks was a hit or a walk from exiting the game.

But neither came. He struck out Nick Markakis on a 3-2 fastball and then retired Nolan Reimold on an infield pop-up to get out of the jam. That started a stretch during which the lefty retired 10 straight Orioles without much effort.

He needed 60 pitches to get the first nine outs and then got through the fourth and fifth innings on a total of seven pitches. He didn't exit the game until Ty Wigginton's one-out single in the seventh. The Orioles finally broke through with a run in the seventh when Luke Scott scored from third on Matt Thornton's wild pitch.

But they couldn't make Danks pay for his six walks in 6 1/3 innings, and finished the game 0for9 with runners in scoring position.

Having command problems of his own, Hernandez (4-6) lost for the fourth time in five starts. He allowed three earned runs on three hits, including Carlos Quentin's solo homer in the second, and three walks, needing 96 pitches to get through four innings. It was the third time in five starts that he didn't get through five innings.

Hernandez had allowed three earned runs or fewer in seven of his first eight starts for the Orioles, but it has been a struggle for him lately.

Over his past five outings, he has gone six innings just once. He had also given up five earned runs in two of his past three starts entering Saturday. Manager Dave Trembley attributed Hernandez's problems to the pitcher being too reliant on his fastball.

"Hernandez falls into the pattern of being comfortable with his fastball because [it's] his bread-and-butter pitch," Trembley said before the game. "But what's happened is he's gotten stuck with his fastball and he hasn't thrown his change-up and he hasn't thrown his curveball until he's 50 or 60 pitches in the game. I think you'll see him tonight try to establish his other two pitches earlier in the game so he doesn't become so predictable."

Hernandez's main problem early Saturday night was he couldn't command his fastball. He fell behind three of the four batters he faced in a scoreless first inning, along with Quentin to lead off the second inning. Quentin was sitting on a 3-1 fastball, and he drove it 405 feet into the left field bleachers. The solo shot was his 14th of the season and marked his third straight game with a home run.

The control problems Hernandez was struggling through were nothing compared with the issues Danks was facing. The left-hander issued a walk and a two-out single in the first but got out of the inning unscathed when Reimold grounded out.

He allowed a leadoff walk to Melvin Mora in the second and again wasn't punished as rookie Matt Wieters hit into an inning-ending double play.