CHICAGO – Tony Mansolino was the Orioles third base coach and infield instructor last summer, not their interim manager, when Kyle Bradish tossed seven hitless innings in the White Sox’s home ballpark. The details are a bit fuzzy.
Rain delayed the start of the game for 1 hour and 40 minutes. Bradish matched his career high with 11 strikeouts and came out after 103 pitches. The first batter to face reliever Danny Coulombe ruined the drama by homering.
“How do I not remember this?” Mansolino asked this afternoon during his dugout media session.
“I hope he does it again tonight.”
Bradish walked the leadoff hitter, struck out the next two and surrendered back-to-back singles to give the White Sox an early lead. He wouldn’t chase history. The goal was much more simple. Just do the job well enough to give his team a chance to win.
Colton Cowser hit a tie-breaking three-run homer in the sixth inning after Bradish worked out of another jam, and the Orioles defeated the White Sox 4-1 before an announced crowd of 11,020 at Rate Field.
The turnout also included 517 dogs who didn’t know they were watching two last-place teams. The White Sox have the worst record in the American League at 57-94. The Orioles improved to 70-80 after the Blue Jays swept them over the weekend.
Their 70th win last year came on Aug. 10.
Manager Will Venable brought in left-hander Tyler Alexander with two outs in the sixth after Steven Wilson walked Coby Mayo. Samuel Basallo singled, Cowser homered to left-center field and Jackson Holliday doubled – all of them left-handed hitters making a mockery of the matchups.
Cowser was down 1-2 when he belted his 15th homer, his second in two days and third in 10 games.
Bradish’s no-hit bid on May 26, 2024 ended when Danny Mendick came off the bench and smacked a leadoff home run against Coulombe, who said afterward that he felt “sick” about it. The Orioles won 4-1 to complete a four-game sweep.
The right elbow had three more starts in it before Bradish's reconstructive surgery.
“Well, I remember that, unfortunately,” Mansolino said.
Tonight was Bradish’s fourth start since his return and he held Chicago to one run and four hits in five innings. He walked four and struck out nine to elevate his pitch count to 88.
Colson Montgomery singled at 111.2 mph with two outs in the first and Curtis Mead singled to score Mike Tacuhman. The leadoff walk would burn Bradish.
Two more walks were issued in the third, when Bradish struck out three batters. Andrew Benintendi drew a leadoff walk in the fourth and the Orioles turned a 4-6-3 double play. Dominic Fletcher was stranded after a leadoff double in the fifth. Bradish struck out Lenyn Sosa for the third time.
White Sox opener Tyler Gilbert retired the side in order on only 10 pitches in the first inning. Sean Burke had a 1-2-3 second inning, but he walked Basallo and Holliday in the third and Jeremiah Jackson singled with two outs to score the tying run.
Ryan Mountcastle singled in the fourth and Burke hit Mayo on the left hand with a 95.4 mph sinker with two outs, but Basallo grounded out. Mayo was in pain and assistant athletic trainer Patrick Wesley checked on him, but he stayed in the game.
Jackson and Gunnar Henderson walked with two outs in the fifth and Tyler O’Neill grounded into a force.
Burke allowed one run and two hits in four innings.
The Orioles bullpen was better. The same one that deteriorated in Toronto.
Kade Strowd retired his three batters in the sixth and Dietrich Enns retired his six to carry the lead to the ninth. No one was warming. This was Enns’ game to finish and he retired the side in order again for his second save.
Twelve up and 12 down to restore order to the unit.