CHICAGO — Adam Frazier and Jorge Mateo each hit an RBI single during Baltimore’s three-run sixth inning, and the Orioles cooled off the Chicago Cubs with a 6-3 win on Sunday.
Anthony Santander homered for Baltimore, and Ramón Urías drove in two runs. Austin Hays had three of the team’s 14 hits.
The Orioles had won six of seven when they arrived in Chicago. But they dropped the first two of the weekend series by a combined score of 13-5.
Baltimore right-hander Dean Kremer (8-3) struck out seven while working five innings of three-run ball. Félix Bautista pitched a perfect ninth for his 19th save in 23 chances.
The Orioles have not been swept since a three-game series at Detroit from May 13-15, 2022. They haven’t been swept by an NL team since May 21-23, 2021, at Washington.
“The guys come ready to play every day, every series,” Kremer said. “If we drop one, if we drop another one, we’re hungry for the next one.”
Chicago had won a season-high five straight. Mike Tauchman and Christopher Morel homered for the Cubs, who finished with three hits.
Ryan O’Hearn sparked Baltimore’s winning rally with a leadoff single in the sixth against Jameson Taillon (2-5). O’Hearn advanced to third on Aaron Hicks’ double and scored on Urías’ sacrifice fly, tying it at 3.
O’Hearn and Hicks have been key contributors for Baltimore with Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle sidelined by health issues.
“We have some guys right now that are really playing well and helping out with the loss of some guys that have really helped us in here the last couple of years,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said.
Anthony Kay then replaced Taillon, and Frazier and Mateo hit RBI singles to give the Orioles a 5-3 lead.
Chicago had runners on second and third after a double steal in the seventh, but Yennier Cano retired Nico Hoerner on a grounder to second for the final out.
Adley Rutschman added an insurance run with an RBI double off Hayden Wesneski in the ninth. Rutschman hit a two-run homer in the Orioles’ 3-2 loss on Saturday.
Chicago jumped in front when Tauchman launched his first career leadoff homer on Kremer’s first pitch of the game. Tauchman also made a nice defensive play in the top half of the first, throwing out Hays when he tried to score on Santander’s flyout.
“We would like to come away with a win, but overall I thought it was a pretty good homestand,” Tauchman said. “That’s three series in a row that we’ve won so try to take that momentum.”
Santander led off the fourth with his 10th homer on a 3-2 pitch by Taillon. Urías added an RBI single later in the inning.
“Really good at-bats,” Hyde said. “It felt like we weren’t catching any breaks all series so to be able to come out with a win today was huge.”
The Cubs responded with two runs in the bottom half, taking advantage of some shoddy defense by the Orioles.
Cody Bellinger reached third when O’Hearn misplayed his two-out liner to right for an error. Morel followed with his 13th homer, a drive to left-center on a 3-1 pitch.
Morel was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on May 8. He has played in just 31 games this year with Chicago.
Taillon was charged with four runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Cubs visit Pittsburgh for a three-game series before traveling to London to play two games against St. Louis. Tauchman played in London as a member of the Yankees in 2019, so he has an idea of what to expect.
“It was a great time. It was a really cool experience,” he said. “We’re staying in a different spot this time than we did last time so be able to see a couple of different things. It‘s going to be quite the experience for anyone that hasn’t been able to go.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: C James McCann was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left ankle sprain. C José Godoy was promoted from Triple-A Norfolk. ... 3B Gunnar Henderson was scratched because of a stomach flu.
UP NEXT
Orioles: Following a day off, RHP Kyle Bradish (2-3) starts against the Tampa Bay Rays in the opener of a three-game series. Bradish went a season-high seven innings in a loss to Toronto in his last start.
Cubs: LHP Drew Smyly (6-4) is Monday’s scheduled starter at Pittsburgh.
