Quintana dazzles with 12 strikeouts in Cubs debut
Lefty ties franchise record after trade; O’s bullpen strong again
Rangers, 7:05 p.m., MASN New Chicago Cubs pitcher
baffled the Orioles on Sunday. His counterpart,
wasn’t fooling anyone. In an 8-0 Orioles loss that secured a series sweep at Camden Yards for the visiting Cubs and dropped the Orioles to a seasonworst seven games below .500 (42-49), Quintana struck out 12 and walked none to dazzle in his team debut.
Jiménez, meanwhile, ceded 11 hits before he was pulled in the fourth inning, many of them rockets that found patches of outfield grass. He left trailing 6-0.
“We’re playing a world-champion team that everyone knew was going to get going at some point,” Orioles manager said. “Unfortunately, they got started here. They’re on the top of their game. They have a lot of good pieces. Good starting pitching. We were not up to the challenge.”
After a quick first inning, the Cubs tagged Jiménez for four runs on six hits in the second inning, then added a two-run home run by third baseman in the fourth inning that helped spell the end for Jiménez.
Showalter said he was encouraged by Jiménez’s first inning but “his command deserted him in the second inning.”
Said Jiménez: “I was able to get ahead, but I couldn’t put it away. They took a good approach … and by the time I figured it out it was too late. They’d already scored three or Jose Quintana was traded from the White Sox to the Cubs for four prospects last week. four runs.”
Quintana, who switched sides of Chicago when the Cubs dealt four prospects to the White Sox for his services last week, allowed three hits in seven innings and tied a franchise strikeout record for a team debut.
“That’s why you have to give up four players for guys like him,” Showalter said. “I think he’s under control the next three years for them. ... We knew he’d be having a lot of adrenaline flowing for him today, new teammates, trying to make a mark and prove himself a little bit. He was big.” Bullpen boost: Yet again, the Orioles bullpen came in and did its job after a starter struggled to do the same. Left-hander
retired all six batters he faced before turning the ball over to
who fanned two and retired all four batters tasked to him.
pitched a scoreless eighth inning to keep him on his every-other-day schedule since returning from a left forearm strain before allowed a two-run home run in a difficult ninth inning.
“The bullpen did another good job,” Showalter said. “Darren had a little hiccup, but we were able to stretch it out. We were a little short down there.” Jones jumps on one: Center fielder move back to the leadoff spot that suited him so well last season had been off to a slow start since he regained the role Friday, as he hadn’t collected a hit and had reached only on a hit-bypitch in his first two games.
But he ended that — and gave the Orioles their first hit of the day — by hacking at the first pitch of the fourth inning and pulling it into the left-field corner for a ground-rule double. Jones was left at third base.
The Orioles’ day was short on offensive highlights. Catcher
singled to left in fifth inning, and shortstop
singled to center to open the seventh. Jones was hit by a pitch on the foot in the ninth for the Orioles’ fourth and final base runner. the Schoop at short: The All-Star second baseman Schoop made his second start of the season at shortstop and again looked at home there. He handled five chances overall, three at shortstop and two at his typical second base spot in the shift.
His best play of the day showed he’s a natural second baseman. Shifted to the right side of the bag against a left-handed hitter, Schoop ranged deep into the first base hole to cut off a ground ball and second baseman in the process.