By Canadian Press

Justin Steele baffles Orioles for 7 innings as Cubs complete sweep with 8-0 rout

Jul 11, 2024 | 7:24 PM

BALTIMORE (AP) — Justin Steele pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, Selya Suzuki had three extra-base hits and three RBIs, and the Chicago Cubs blanked the Baltimore Orioles 8-0 Thursday night for a three-game sweep.

Dansby Swanson homered for the Cubs, who outscored the AL East leaders 21-2 in becoming the first team to sweep the Orioles in Baltimore since Tampa Bay in August 2021.

Chicago completed the sweep with a pair of shutouts, marking the first time the Orioles were blanked in successive games since June 23-24, 2021, during a season in which Baltimore finished 52-110.

Steele (2-3) celebrated his 29th birthday with a dominant performance. He retired his first 11 batters, didn’t allow a runner past second base and struck out four without issuing a walk.

The only hits against the lefty were doubles by Ryan Mountcastle, Jorge Mateo and Anthony Santander.

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Steele’s effort was a suitable encore to his previous outing, when he fired a two-hitter against the Angels for his first win of the season and first career complete game.

Suzuki hit RBI doubles in both the third and fifth innings before driving in a run with a triple in the seventh. His performance was part of a 13-hit attack in which Swanson contributed a solo homer, along with an RBI single in a three-run seventh.

Orioles starter Albert Suárez (5-3) gave up four runs and six hits in five innings. It was the 34-year-old’s first start against the Cubs since 2016, when he was a rookie with the San Francisco Giants.

Baltimore has lost five of seven with the second-place New York Yankees coming to town for a three-game series prior to the All-Star break.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: OF Cody Bellinger was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left middle finger fracture. Bellinger was hit in the hand by a pitch thrown by Cionel Pérez in the seventh inning Wednesday night. “We’re losing the guy who hits third in the lineup, so that hurts,” manager Craig Counsell said. … OF Mike Tauchman (groin strain) ran the bases Thursday for the first time since going on the IL. “Right now we’re on track to (having him back) very close after the All-Star break,” Counsell said.

UP NEXT

Cubs: It’s on to St. Louis for Chicago, which opens a four-game series against the Cardinals on Friday night.

Orioles: Rookie Cade Povich (1-3, 6.51 ERA) faces Gerrit Cole (1-1, 6.75 ERA) and the Yankees on Friday night to launch a three-game set.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

David Ginsburg, The Associated Press