Justin Steele pitched seven innings, allowing just three hits. Seiya Suzuki had three hits that were either doubles or triples, and he drove in three runs. The Chicago Cubs shut out the Baltimore Orioles 8-0 on Thursday night to complete a sweep of their three-game series.
Dansby Swanson hit a home run for the Cubs, who dominated the AL East-leading Orioles by scoring 21 runs while allowing only 2 runs in the entire series. This sweep was significant as it was the first time the Orioles were swept at home since August 2021, when Tampa Bay did it.
Despite being in last place in the NL Central before this series, the Cubs have now won four games in a row and six of their last seven, bringing them closer to third place in their division.
“It’s really important. This is exactly what we need to do, especially given our current situation,” Steele commented after his strong performance. “The team is on a roll right now.”
Chicago secured the sweep with two shutout wins, marking the first time the Orioles were held scoreless in consecutive games since June 2021, a season in which Baltimore struggled and finished with a record of 52-110.
Steele, who celebrated his 29th birthday with his impressive outing, started strong by retiring the first 11 batters he faced. He kept the Orioles from advancing beyond second base and struck out four batters without issuing any walks.
“I had good command of my sinkers and changeups today, and I was able to move my fastball around effectively,” Steele explained. “I’ve been feeling really confident lately.”
The only hits Steele allowed were doubles by Ryan Mountcastle, Jorge Mateo, and Anthony Santander.
“Justin was outstanding,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell praised. “He was efficient, aggressive, threw a lot of strikes. Their hitters couldn’t get good contact most of the night.”
Steele’s performance followed his previous outing, where he threw a two-hit complete game against the Angels to earn his first win of the season.
Suzuki contributed significantly to the Cubs’ offense with RBI doubles in the third and fifth innings, followed by a run-scoring triple in the seventh. The Cubs totaled 13 hits in the game, with Swanson adding to the offensive display with a solo home run and an RBI single in the seventh inning’s three-run outburst.
