Steve Davis: Orioles Rotation Off To Shaky Start
The Orioles are 8-3, leading the division and off to one of the best starts in all of baseball. It's hard to find too many things to worry about when you're in first place. That said, a couple of things we thought would happen are happening, one good, one bad. The good is that the Orioles are knocking the cover off the ball. Through Sunday, they lead the league in home runs with 23. That is ten more than the league average. The bad is that the rotation is struggling. The starters ERA is 5.1 for the year, and over seven for the last seven games. That's not going to win you many games, so, it's safe to say that the Orioles are winning in spite of their rotation.
The Orioles only have one quality start so far this year. That is borderline mind-boggling, that a team with eight wins has only had one pitcher go at least six innings and give up not more than three runs. The rotation was a big concern going into the season, and so far, it is a legitimate concern. The bullpen has bailed them out, although that wasn't the case on Saturday, when Gallardo and the bullpen came apart in the 7th. Something to watch moving forward with Gallardo.
Last year with Texas, in his last 17 starts, he didn't get a single out after the 6th inning. What happened Saturday? He walked off the mound after the 6th inning having only given up two runs. When he walked off the mound in the 7th, he hadn't gotten a single runner out and left two men on base. Both runners scored, so he ended up getting charged with four runs.
In the future, will Gallardo even get a chance to pitch in the 7th?