The Chicago Cubs beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 Tuesday as left-hander Matthew Boyd held the Orioles to three hits over six scoreless innings, giving Chicago the series opener at Camden Yards.
Boyd (4-1) struck out seven in earning the win, and Miguel Amaya reached base three times and scored three runs to pace the Cubs' offense. Alex Bregman went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI, while Dansby Swanson added two hits and an RBI. The Orioles have struggled against lefties this season, and really going back three seasons. Boyd marked another one. “He has a good mix," Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said after the game. "He mixes up arm slots."
Chicago built its lead before Baltimore had a chance to respond, scoring once in the third and twice more in the fifth against Shane Baz. Adley Rutschman's bases-loaded single pushed across two runs for the O's in the seventh to cut the deficit, but the Cubs answered with a run of their own in the eighth to push the margin back to three. Tyler Ferguson and Trent Thornton combined for two hitless innings to close it out, with Thornton earning the save.
Rutschman finishing 2-for-4. Baz (4-9) took the loss, giving up three earned runs, six hits, three walks with three strikeouts on 100 pitches over six innings,
“They got a lot of veteran guys," Baz said after the game. "I feel like I did a really good job of keeping it mixed up for the most part... Just got to be a little better,” he added, referring to limiting walks.
Reliever Anthony Nunez allowed two more earned runs in two innings of work. With the loss and a simultaneous Boston win, the Orioles (42-50) have dropped into last place in the AL East.