The long brutal month of May is ending, and for the Orioles, it could mean some relief. Though they had a winning month, they finished it losing consecutive series at home.
With a void in the starting rotation due to Grayson Rodriguez’s demotion, the Orioles went with a bullpen game to close out the series against the Cleveland Guardians. Unfortunately for them, an overworked pen couldn’t keep Cleveland from scoring and taking the series, two games to one.
The Birds have a much-needed off day tomorrow before heading to San Francisco. They close May going 2-4 on their six-game home stand.
Let’s see how the games unfolded this series.
Game 1: O’s 0, CLE 5
Tyler Wells has been one of the most consistent starters for the Orioles. He has given up three runs or less in eight of his 11 starts, and Cleveland was going to get an up close look at the righty.
Wells would put forth a strong effort, giving Baltimore six strong innings of work. Allowing just one earned run, Wells would give up four hits while striking out seven.
Unfortunately, the Orioles’ offense was shut down by rookie left-hander Logan Allen, who would go seven innings, allowing just three hits and striking out 10 to prevent the Birds from winning another series opener.
Anthony Santander would collect three hits for the game as the rest of the lineup picked up the remaining two. Cedric Mullins would leave the game with a strained groin muscle, which required an IL stint. It is believed to be a grade one strain with only weeks to recover instead of months.
Wells (3-2) would take the loss, but it was the Orioles’ bullpen that would falter. Cionel Pérez would give up four runs (two earned) in 0.1 of an inning, as he allowed four hits on just 10 pitches to start the seventh. It would be the difference in the game, as the Orioles would lose, 5-0, on Memorial Day.
Game 2: O’s 8, CLE 5
The Orioles tried to make up for the Memorial Day loss by scoring seven runs in the first two innings of the game.
Led by Anthony Santander’s second straight three-hit game, the Orioles got 11 hits as a team and three-RBI games from Santander and Gunnar Henderson. Austin Hays collected an RBI, and Adley Rutschman (two walks and a hit) picked up one as well.
Kyle Gibson (7-3) put forth another strong outing as he pitched 5.2 innings, allowing three earned runs. He did allow seven hits, and though he struggled to get the pesky Guardians out, he collected three strikeouts and was aided by two double plays.
Once again, the bullpen continued to struggle, as Bryan Baker allowed two earned runs in 0.1 innings. The bullpen combined to allow four hits and two walks with only two strikeouts.
The usually unhittable Yennier Canó allowed two hits in picking up his 11th hold, and Félix Bautista picked up his 14th save, as the Orioles won game two, 8-5.
Game 3: O’s 8, CLE 12
Game three was a day of wake-up for the Baltimore Orioles. Dubbed a bullpen game against one of the better AL pitchers in Shane Bieber, this turned into a slugfest that ultimately would lead to a series defeat.
With Bieber on the mound, the Guardians felt confident in their chances. Little did they foresee that he would last just four innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits and two walks.
You would think with the Orioles’ offense scoring eight runs that the bullpen, which has been one of the tops in baseball, would be able to shut down the team with the worst OPS in baseball.
Instead, the bullpen’s final line would make you think it was 2018 all over again. They combined to pitch nine innings, allowing 17 total hits, five walks and 12 earned runs.
Cionel Pérez and Mike Baumann both struggled, and Mychal Givens (0-1), who failed to record an out while being charged with three earned runs, picked up the loss.
Offensively, the Orioles were led by Adley Rutschman’s four hits and RBI, while Aaron Hicks (2), Jorge Mateo, Ryan McKenna (2) and Anthony Santander, who picked up his ninth home run, all picked up RBIs.
Unfortunately, the offensive explosion was not enough, and the Orioles would drop the game, 12-8, and lose their second straight series at home. They finish their homestand 2-4 and end May at 35-21.
BATTERY ❌-FACTOR
The Oriole bullpen, one of the best in baseball, has been worked hard and has begun to show signs of cracks. After a tough series against the first place Rangers, the bullpen was looking to reclaim its form against the Guardians and was dubbed the BATTERY ❌-FACTOR for the series.
For the series, the bullpen was 0-1 with two blown saves, one hold and one save. They combined for 15.1 innings while allowing 26 total hits, 18 runs (16 earned), eight walks and 15 strikeouts. The ERA for the series was 9.54 and the WHIP was 2.25.
It’s fair to say the bullpen played a factor in the series on a negative note. Might changes be ahead?
The Orioles finished May 15-13, as they put forth a strong effort against top teams that were supposed to expose them. The Orioles have had back-to-back winning months to start the season.
The Birds will have a much-needed day off on Thursday before they head to San Francisco for a three-game set against the Giants. Be sure to look for our preview before the series begins Friday at 10:15 p.m. EST.
What do you think of this series loss? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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