Deadspin | Justin Steele befuddles Orioles as Cubs earn sweep

Justin Steele turned in his second consecutive dominating pitching performance and Seiya Suzuki drove in runs with three extra-base hits as the Chicago Cubs completed a sweep of the host Baltimore Orioles, winning 8-0 on Thursday night.

Steele (2-3), coming off his first career complete game last week, threw seven shutout innings as the Cubs won for the sixth time in their last seven games. He struck out four without a walk and allowed just three hits.

Dansby Swanson homered and drove in a run with a single in the finale of a three-game series. Chicago racked up a total of 38 hits in the series, while outscoring Baltimore 21-2 in those games.

The Orioles, who were shutout victims for the second night in a row, will carry a three-game losing streak into an AL East Division showdown with the New York Yankees.

Drew Smyly and Jorge Lopez each worked an inning in relief to complete the combined five-hitter. The Cubs have notched seven shutouts this year, with three of them coming across the past four games.

Baltimore’s hits off Steele were doubles by Ryan Mountcastle, Jorge Mateo and Anthony Santander. The Orioles were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position for a two-game mark of 0-for-16 in that category, stranding two runners in the ninth following Jordan Westburg’s double.

Orioles starter Albert Suarez (5-3) took the loss, giving up four runs on six hits in five innings. Reliever Cole Irvin was tagged for four runs and seven hits across the final four innings.

Suzuki opened the scoring with a third-inning double. After Michael Busch’s two-run double in the fifth, Suzuki added to the scoring with an RBI double.

Swanson’s ninth home run of the season was a solo shot in the sixth. Suzuki smacked a run-producing triple in the seventh and Ian Happ followed with a run-scoring double.

Busch scored three runs. He joined Nico Hoerner, Miles Mastrobuoni and Swanson with two hits each.

–Field Level Media