


Wednesday’s late game
Castillo’s grand slam in fifth helps end 11-game road skid
The blast, part of a nine-run outburst over three innings that erased a 5-1 deficit, put the Orioles ahead to stay in a rain-delayed 10-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.
It came on a night when the Orioles finally cashed in on some early-inning chances; when their top starter, Dylan Bundy, overcame a shaky start to pitch deep enough for the win; and when their skid had lasted long enough that they started to wonder if — not when — it would end.
“There was some of that — not, ‘Here we go,’ but you think you’re having Groundhog Day there for a little while,” manager Buck Showalter said. “But guys just refused to give in. It’s been a tough stretch for us.”
Said Castillo: “We have a great ballclub and we just need to keep doing what we’re doing today. Keep swinging the bats and hopefully the pitching stops the other offense. That is going to come. We are not too worried about it. It’s a long season and we have a great team. At some point we are going to do what we know to do.”
Staked to a 5-1 lead thanks to some mistakes by both Bundy and the Orioles defense behind him, Miguel Gonzalez simply gave the Orioles too many chances to break out of their recent inability to put together a big inning.
They loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth inning, and did so again with two outs in the fifth inning. Both times, it was designated hitter Mark Trumbo, first baseman Trey Mancini and second baseman Jonathan Schoop who reached in order.
In the fourth inning, a run came in on a fielder’s choice by Castillo, then two more on a two-out single by left fielder Hyun Soo Kim before Castillo was caught in a rundown to end the inning.
An inning later, Castillo came up with three on again and hit his first career grand slam to center field to put the Orioles ahead 8-5, a lead they never relinquished.
“Honestly, I like that situation,” Castillo said. “I had that situation earlier. I am that kind of guy that likes that situation because I am not afraid to fail.”