CHICAGO — The Orioles have avoided being swept this season by frequently managing to capitalize on their opponents’ mistakes. On Sunday, they had to overcome their own to dodge a third straight loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Baltimore bounced back from a series of self-inflicted wounds for a 6-3 victory in the series finale at Wrigley Field, defeating the Cubs to avoid what would’ve been the team’s first sweep in this season’s 23 series. Manager Brandon Hyde said before the game that the Orioles’ clubhouse features “a bunch of pros who don’t panic,” and his team showcased that in a game that featured lapses in the field and on the bases.
The Orioles (44-27) entered the sixth inning trailing by a run largely thanks to two defensive miscues within one at-bat. After a shaky first, right-hander Dean Kremer retired nine straight Cubs, including two strikeouts to start the fourth, then induced two seemingly catchable balls off Cody Bellinger’s bat that both fell.
