Orioles starting pitcher Zach Eflin has already shown he’s one of the top MLB trade deadline prizes. Thursday was another display, as he allowed just two runs over six innings in a over the San Francisco Giants to lower his ERA with his new club to 2.31.
The Orioles’ offense is struggling to wake up, but their starting rotation is doing enough to keep them afloat as they close in on a likely second straight postseason berth with nine games remaining. Eflin will anchor that group in October, when solid pitching might be enough to win. At the top of that unit alongside Eflin is Corbin Burnes, who rebounded from a dreadful August to return to his early season dominance.
Dean Kremer and Albert Suárez are also wrapping up impressive second halves and showing they too can be trusted to start a postseason game. The Orioles, full of flaws and inconsistencies, boast a starting rotation that’s quietly been one of baseball’s best in the second half and enters a critical stretch at its peak. “We’re pitching well enough to win games,” manager Brandon Hyde said.
“I’m happy with how we’re throwing the ball. And hopefully we can get going offensively a little bit.” The Orioles entered Thursday with the fifth-best rotation ERA in the American League this month.
Burnes, Eflin and Kremer each rank in the top 10 in the circuit in ERA, and even rookie Cade Povich isn’t far behind with a 3.18 mark in September. Burnes hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any of his past four starts.
He’s pitched at least six innings in consecutive outings, including . Eflin has pitched six or more innings in all but one of his starts as an Oriole, and he’s never given up more than three earned runs. Kremer sports a 3.
98 ERA in the second half and five of his past seven starts have been quality. Suárez has a 3.55 ERA since the start of August.
“We’ve been throwing the ball great,” Burnes said. “A couple of us had a bad month of August, but we’re in good shape. Got some guys coming back off the IL in the next couple days, weeks.
Any reinforcements we can get will be good.” Reinforcements are indeed on the way. The hope is for Grayson Rodriguez to be back before the end of the regular season, and general manager Mike Elias for a faster return.
Related Articles Rodriguez might not be needed in the rotation to open the postseason, where only three or four starters are required with built-in days off. The Orioles could deploy a trio of Burnes, Eflin and either Suárez or Kremer in a best-of-three wild-card series. That group has proved to be capable of playoff victories if they maintain their current form.
“That’s the beautiful thing about baseball. It takes offense, defense and pitching,” Eflin said. “And when we click, it’s going to be a lot of fun.
I think we’re just trying to find our ways the past couple weeks. But if everybody continues to do their job, and we can continue to rely on each other and pull for each other, it’s going to be a lot of fun.” The Orioles acquired Burnes, the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner, and Eflin, who finished sixth in AL Cy Young Award voting last year, with their postseason experience in mind.
The games the pair of dominant right-handers were brought in for are looming. They’re entering them at their strongest..
