Kyle Gibson
By JAY COHEN
AP Baseball Writer
CHICAGO (AP) — Justin Steele returned just in time. He was getting a little antsy on the injured list.
Steele pitched five innings of two-run ball, and the Chicago Cubs topped the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on Saturday for their season-high fifth straight win.
After collecting 38 runs and 51 hits in the first four games of the win streak, Chicago managed just four hits against Greenfield’s Kyle Gibson (8-4) and two relievers. But Mike Tauchman delivered a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the fifth, and the Cubs held on.
It was Gibson’s first loss in his last six starts. He had gone 4-0 with one no decision.
He went into Saturday game at Wrigley Field looking to become just the third pitcher in the majors to record nine wins.
Gibson is 8-4 with a 3.94 earned run average in 15 starts.
On Saturday, Steele allowed five hits, struck out four and walked one in his first start since May 31. The left-hander had been sidelined by a strained forearm.
After Steele (7-2) departed, Julian Merryweather got three outs and Mark Leiter Jr. worked two innings. Adbert Alzolay closed it out for his fourth save.
Baltimore put runners on first and second with one out in the seventh, but Anthony Santander struck out looking and Gunnar Henderson bounced to second. Ryan O’Hearn flied out to the wall in center for the final out of the eighth.
Adley Rutschman hit a two-run homer, and Austin Hays had two of the team’s seven hits. Gibson struck out seven and walked two in six innings.
“Just felt like my delivery was really, really in a good spot,” Gibson said, “and arm-side, glove-side was able to really execute some pitches today.”
Chicago grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third. With two out and runners on first and second, Nico Hoerner lined a two-run double into the gap in left-center for the team’s first hit of the game.
Baltimore responded with a two-out rally in the fifth.
Hays singled ahead of Rutschman’s 10th homer, a 406-foot drive to the bleachers in left that tied it at 2. It was the first homer off Steele since April 14, ending his majors-best string of 53 innings without allowing a long ball.
Gibson, the 35-year old right-hander and 2006 graduate of Greenfield-Central High School, is scheduled to have his next start on Saturday, June 24, in Baltimore against the Seattle Mariners. Bryce Miller (5-3) is slated to start for the M’s.
Baltimore is in second place in the American League East Division, trailing Tampa Bay (51-24) by five games. At 44-27, the Orioles are tied with the West Division leading Texas Rangers for the second best record in the American League.
