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Baltimore Orioles: As the Starting Pitching Turns

By Nate Wardle

Apr 28, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Tyler Wilson (63) pitches during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Tyler Wilson (63) pitches during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Baltimore Orioles broke out offensively in a big way on Thursday night, pounding the Chicago White Sox for 10 runs in a 10-2 blowout, with good pitching also contributing.

After Wednesday night, the team had a good moral victory, picking up a 3-1 win on a Joey Rickard 3-R-HR.

While those three runs were more than the team had scored in their previous three games combined, it didn’t exactly break them out of a slump.

Thursday night, that all changed.  Manny had a grand slam and 5 RBIs, Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo both homered, and up and down the lineups, players were getting on base.

Even better in the game was that the team only left up two runs to the best team in the American League. However, the start from Tyler Wilson was a mix of successful, but short.

The drum I have beaten over and over, that the Orioles’ success is all about the starting pitching. This year, it hasn’t been bad. Yovani Gallardo has struggled, but who knows if he was healthy for any of his starts. 

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Chris Tillman, the team’s Opening Day starter, is 2-1 in 25 innings with a 3.24 ERA. Ubaldo Jimenez is 1-2 in 23 innings, with a 3.91 ERA. Wilson is 1-0 in 17.2 innings (half in the bullpen), with a 3.06 ERA. Kevin Gausman is 0-1 in 5 innings with a 1.80 ERA. Mike Wright is 1-2 in 17.1 innings with a 6.23 ERA.

Those are the five people currently in the rotation. Vance Worley, for those wondering, has a 3.86 ERA in 14 innings.

The problem lays in the games started.

Tillman has started five games, meaning he is averaging five innings a start. He gets a bit of a pass from the rain delay on Opening Day, but still.

Jimenez has started four games, meaning he has less than six innings per start. Wright has started three games, meaning he is averaging under six innings per start.

Wilson has started two games, going five innings in the first, and 4.2 in Thursday night’s victory. He is averaging under 5 innings per start. Gausman has started one game, only going five innings.

You see where this is going. Even when the starters go past six innings, they have other starts where they don’t go past five.

The Orioles have one of the best bullpens in the game. Brad Brach, Darren O’Day and Zach Britton have been fantastic this year, as usual. Mychal Givens has proven he can get tough outs, and did again in a big way on Thursday night. The Orioles have several good long relievers in Worley and McFarland. Dylan Bundy has also been very good.

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We won’t talk about Brian Matusz, but the point remains. If the team can get more depth from the pitching, which has been an issue for years, it would make this team one that is even more feared. Until then, have to hope the bullpen stays fresh!

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