Lamb, Moncada homer, White Sox beats O's 7-4 in Game 1

CHICAGO -- — Jake Lamb and Yoán Moncada homered, José Abreu drove in three runs and the Chicago White Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-4 in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday.

Chicago has won four of its last five games after getting swept by the Yankees last weekend.

Abreu, the 2020 American League MVP, is turning in another big run-producing year. He is among the leaders in the majors with 43 RBI.

“The productivity is there, the way he plays defense, what he supplies the club in the clubhouse, very special," White Sox manager Tony La Russa said. For “some guys, it’s not easy to be an RBI guy. He gets them because he has great at-bats ahead in the count and behind in the count.”

Chicago starter Dallas Keuchel (4-1) allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings. Evan Marshall pitched a scoreless sixth inning and Liam Hendriks threw a perfect seventh for his 11th save.

Keuchel had to grind out the win.

“I’m definitely not consistent, so I’m very fortunate to get a lot of run support, and I’m still waiting on the consistency to be there still," the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner said. “Check back in with me here hopefully in June. I’m ready to go on a run.”

Freddy Galvis homered twice and Maikel Franco hit a solo shot for the Orioles, who have lost 11 consecutive games for their longest losing streak since dropping 13 from Sept. 17-30, 2009.

Baltimore starter Matt Harvey (3-6) struggled again, allowing five runs on five hits and three walks. He had six strikeouts. It was his fifth straight loss; he failed to go at least five innings during that stretch.

"I missed a couple of pitches over the middle that really cost us," Harvey said. "Extremely frustrating when you have good stuff and you're just not locating as you need to be, not keeping runs off the board."

With one out in the first inning, Galvis drove Keuchel's 0-1 changeup into the left-field seats.

Tim Anderson led off the first with a double for the White Sox and scored on Abreu's single to tie the game. Harvey limited the damage by striking out Lamb with runners on the corners.

Chicago broke open the game in the third. Harvey allowed back-to-backs walks to start the inning and Abreu followed with a two-run single. Moncada got the stop sign at third base but came around to score after right fielder Anthony Santander hesitated to throw in the ball. One out later, Lamb hit his third homer of the season, a two-run shot, on a 1-2 fastball from Harvey to give the White Sox a 5-1 lead.

Baltimore cut Chicago's lead in the fourth inning. Franco hit a solo shot and Ryan Mountcastle tripled and scored to make it 5-3.

Galvis homered again off Keuchel on a 3-1 pitch in the fifth inning. It was his ninth of the season and the fourth multi-home run game of his career. He last hit two home runs against the Royals on July 1, 2019 while with the Toronto Blue Jays.

After Orioles reliever Shawn Armstong walked Anderson in the sixth, Moncada gave the White Sox a pair of insurance runs with a two-run homer.

Baltimore's Tyler Nevin, the son of former major leaguer Phil Nevin, doubled in his first at-bat in the majors in the second inning. Nevin, who turned 24 on Saturday, was drafted by the Colorado Rockies with the 38th pick in the 2015 amateur draft.

UP NEXT

With Saturday’s doubleheader and another one with Cleveland on Monday, the White Sox play five games in three days.

The second game Saturday features two of the best pitchers in the American League. Lefty John Means (4-0, 1.79 ERA) started for the Orioles. Right-hander Lance Lynn (5-1, 1.51 ERA) went for the White Sox.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: Trey Mancini was out of the lineup. He was hit by a pitch in Thursday's loss and left with a bruised right elbow. X-rays were negative. The first baseman entered Saturday second in the AL with 42 RBI a year after being diagnosed with colon cancer. He is listed as day to day. ... With the roster expanding to 27 for the doubleheader, the Orioles called up Travis Lakins Sr. from Triple-A Norfolk. He is 1-4 with the Orioles this season with a 7.36 ERA in 16 games. He pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief in the first game.

White Sox: The White Sox recalled RHP Zack Burdi from Triple-A Charlotte for the 27th spot on the roster. Burdi was 0-1 with Charlotte with a 4.26 ERA in five relief appearances. ... OF Adam Eaton was out with a hamstring injury. He is listed as day to day. ... LHP Jace Fry (microdiscectomy) worked one scoreless inning with two strikeouts Friday in his first rehab game with Charlotte.

------