CHICAGO — Kyle Bradish struck out 11 in seven no-hit innings, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 4-1 on Sunday for a sweep of their four-game series.
Bradish (1-0), who missed the beginning of the season because of a right elbow injury, walked four in his fifth start since his return. He threw 103 pitches, 63 for strikes.
Danny Coulombe was inserted for the eighth, and Danny Mendick led off with a pinch-hit drive to left for Chicago’s only hit of the game. It was Mendick’s second homer of the season.
Manager Brandon Hyde pulled Bradish because of his pitch count.
“No choice there unfortunately,” Hyde said. “It’s 103 pitches and he hasn’t gone that far and coming off an elbow strain earlier and the whole thing.
“That’s difficult because you want to see him stay out there and he’s throwing the ball so great. He was absolutely fantastic.”
Bradish, who lowered his ERA to 1.75, knew he wasn’t going to be able to finish.
“Four walks kind of put you out of the conversation,” Bradish said. “Maybe without those, but when I left the game, I felt good with the bullpen.
“I mean pinch-hit home run, it happens. It’s baseball.”
The last-place White Sox have lost five straight and nine of 10.
“You go out there and see the zero on the scoreboard, so obviously I knew it (the no-hitter) was intact,“ Mendick said. ”I wanted to break it up.”
Adley Rutschman and Colton Cowser homered for Baltimore, which closed out a 4-3 trip. The Orioles were swept by St. Louis before their successful stay in Chicago.
Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth for his 12th save.
The start of the game was delayed 1 hour and 40 minutes by rain.
The Orioles grabbed a 2-0 lead in the sixth. Jordan Westburg singled with one out and Rutschman followed with his 10th homer, a 400-foot drive to left that stopped Garrett Crochet’s 24-inning scoreless streak.
Crochet (5-5) struck out 11 in six innings. He allowed three hits and walked one.
Cowser led off the eighth with his seventh homer against Michael Soroka, and James McCann added a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
Korey Lee had the hardest-hit ball off Bradish, lining to the warning track in right to end the fourth.
Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson made a sharp play in the fifth, ranging to his left to field Zach Remillard’s grounder up the middle before throwing him out on the run.
Crochet retired his first 11 hitters, striking out seven, before Ryan Mountcastle doubled down the left field line with two outs in the fourth.
