CHICAGO -- After stumbling out of the gates, it seemed as though Alex Cobb was starting to find his footing in the Orioles' rotation in May after a forgettable first month with the club.
But that changed in his latest start on Wednesday when Cobb, who signed a 4-year, $57 million contract with Baltimore during Spring Training, couldn't get out of the fourth inning and surrendered six runs in an 11-1 loss to the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The loss was the Orioles' sixth in their last eight games.
Cobb, who fell to 1-6 on the season, retired the first seven hitters he faced before things flipped quickly during a four-run third inning that was fueled by a three-run home run from Yoan Moncada. After the strong start, Cobb was unable to locate the way he wanted to and had pitches start to elevate, which led him being hit hard, another loss and an extension of what has been a difficult start to his time with the Orioles.
Still, Cobb is determined to turn things around.
"I'm not going to look into how people view me as a pitcher. I would obviously love to go out and show the fan base and all of baseball that the Orioles made the right decision in getting me," said Cobb, who has pitched fewer than five innings in four of his nine starts this year. "But it hasn't gone according to plan to start the season, but I no doubt believe that I will return to form."

After the Moncada home run, Daniel Palka capped the third inning with an RBI single, before Cobb allowed RBI singles to Yolmer Sanchez and Jose Abreu in the fourth inning that saw his outing end after 3 2/3 innings. The right-hander allowed eight hits, struck out three and walked two.
"It's the worst feeling when you're out on the mound and you go through the checklist of adjustments that you normally make to get the ball to do what you want and it's still not doing it," Cobb said.
Added manager Buck Showalter: "I thought there was a better outing there to be had."
The Orioles' offense remained largely dormant after totaling just five runs over the first two games of the series. Jace Peterson's RBI single in the second inning was all the run production Baltimore could muster off White Sox starter Dylan Covey, who allowed six hits and struck out eight over seven innings. The Orioles didn't record a hit after the fifth inning.

"I don't think anyone on this team wants to fail. There's nobody on this team that goes up there trying to strike out," Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop said. "Everybody goes up there trying to do good. I think we've got to relax a little bit and just play baseball."
The Orioles bullpen didn't fare much better than Cobb, as Pedro Araujo and Tanner Scott combined to give up five runs, including a three-run homer from Adam Engel and Jose Rondon's first career home run with a two-run shot in the seventh inning.
UP NEXT
Dylan Bundy takes the mound for Thursday's matinee series finale against the White Sox at 2:10 p.m. ET. The right-hander has an 8.31 ERA in May and has allowed at least three home runs in three of his last four starts. Bundy will face off against White Sox starter Lucas Giolito.