Zach Eflin Shines as Orioles Edge White Sox 2-1

BALTIMORE — Zach Eflin delivered a stellar performance, allowing four hits and striking out six over seven shutout innings Friday, leading the Baltimore Orioles to a 2-1 victory against the Chicago White Sox.

Eflin, who improved his record to 4-2, recorded his first scoreless outing of the season, lowering his ERA to 4.46. His consistent pitching was crucial in a game that saw the Orioles break a scoreless tie in the sixth inning.

Ramón Urías provided the breakthrough, hitting a sacrifice fly off Chicago’s Sean Burke (3-6). In a surprising turn of events, Ryan Mountcastle executed a double steal, scoring from third to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead.

Mountcastle later left the game with right hamstring discomfort after his daring play. Bryan Baker followed Eflin with a perfect eighth inning, keeping the momentum on the Orioles’ side.

In the ninth, Felix Bautista faced some trouble, surrendering an RBI double to Andrew Benintendi before securing his ninth save and closing out the game.

Despite the win, the White Sox’s struggles continued as their road record fell to .200 (6-24) following the defeat.

A key moment in the game came in the seventh inning when Eflin managed to escape a jam, striking out both Luis Robert Jr. and Joshua Palacios Jr. to end the inning without allowing a run.

Looking ahead, Chicago’s right-hander Davis Martin (2-5, 3.45 ERA) aims for his fourth consecutive quality start on Saturday, facing Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer (4-5, 5.02), who is seeking his second straight win.