Baltimore, MD – Scott Feldman fired his first career shutout and Chris Davis clubbed his league-leading 48th home run of the season, as the Baltimore Orioles blanked the Chicago White Sox, 4-0, Friday in the second tilt of a four-game set at Camden Yards.
Feldman (5-4) scattered five hits and a walk while striking out three over an efficient 106-pitch outing to record his second career complete game and pick up his third win in his last four starts.
"It's my first shutout, so anytime something like that happens, it's something I'll always remember," Feldman said.
Davis and Matt Wieters belted back-to-back blasts in the sixth, while Danny Valencia stroked a solo homer in the third and added an RBI single in the fifth for the Orioles, who have won two straight and four of their last six games to remain in the thick of the AL Wild Card race.
Baltimore now sits just two games back of Tampa Bay for the final Wild Card spot after the Rays lost in Seattle later on Friday.
Chicago starter John Danks (4-12) surrendered all four runs on seven hits and a walk over 5 1/3 frames to absorb the loss.
Jeff Keppinger and Paul Konerko combined for four of Chicago's five hits, as the White Sox lost their eighth straight game.
Danks retired the first eight O's in order, but with two outs in the third, Valencia stroked a 2-2 fastball into the seats in left-center for a 1-0 lead.
Chicago nearly evened the score in the next half-inning, as Keppinger smacked a one-out single and moved to second on a groundout before Konerko ripped a base hit back up the middle.
Keppinger tried to score on the play, but center fielder Adam Jones fired a strike to Wieters, who blocked the plate and applied the tag to end the inning and keep Baltimore in front.
"I thought I beat him to the plate," Keppinger said. "I thought I got my hand in there. It happens. It seems like we have a lot of calls go that way lately."
The O's padded their lead in the fifth, as J.J. Hardy and Nick Markakis started the frame with back-to-back singles before Michael Morse grounded into a double play that left Hardy standing at third.
Valencia then legged out an infield single to plate Hardy for a 2-0 lead.
Davis and Wieters stroked back-to-back homers in the sixth to double Baltimore's lead, as Davis deposited his homer over the high wall in right before Wieters followed two pitches later with a line-drive shot to right- center to make it 4-0.
The run support was more than enough for Feldman, who retired the final eight White Sox he faced in order to finish off the shutout.
Game Notes
Danks fell to 1-8 over 11 road starts this season ... The White Sox are an AL- worst 24-50 on the road this season ... Davis finished with three hits and recorded his third stolen base of the season.
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