When the Orioles take the field against the Red Sox on Monday for Boston’s home opener, they do so with a 5-0 record, their best start since 1970 when they also won their first five games. The O’s won the World Series that year against the Reds and while that team was loaded with Hall of Famers and historically great pitching, this team is, so far, is exceeding expectations. Of course, five games is far too small of a sample size to get too excited, but regardless, these five games may have taught us something about the Orioles.
For the last four seasons the Orioles have been in the top three of the American League in homers and their identity over the past several years has largely been shaped by their ability to hit the long ball. Mainstays Chris Davis, Adam Jones, and Manny Machado, paired with relatively new guy Jonathan Schoop, have used their bats to bring excitement back to Camden Yards again after a decade of apathetic fans and poor attendance. Since 2012, the Orioles have been a team to be reckoned with in the AL East.
The Orioles’ only downfall in recent years has been their pitching. Indeed, the team built on hitting was limited only by their rotation which, for the exception of 2014 (when the O’s won the division), has been near the lower half of the league in ERA since 2011. Over time, the names have changed and so far in 2016, the pitching has been spectacular. The Orioles starting pitching has posted a collective 2.28 ERA so far this season and the bullpen, which has been generally good for the O’s over the past several seasons, is second in the league with a 1.27 ERA. Indeed, it’s the pitching that has the Orioles in first place, more so than the offense.
Newcomer Yovani Gallardo, who was signed as a free agent in the offseason, surrendered one earned run in five innings in his team debut on Wednesday, and will face the Red Sox Monday. Veteran Chris Tillman has made two starts, although one was cut short by rain delays last week against the Twins. He has only allowed a single run over seven innings and Ubaldo Jimenez struck out nine Twins on Thursday.
Meanwhile, if you take away the runs surrendered by Mychal Givens, the Orioles bullpen has not surrendered anything and is arguably the reason they are 5-0. Led by closer Zach Britton and star setup man Darren O’Day, the O’s pen is poised to be one of the best in the league. Currently, top club prospect Dylan Bundy is making a home in the bullpen, but hopefully it’s a short-term living situation. The 23-year old has had a lot of expectations heaped up on him over the years, but injuries has hampered his development and at least for the time being has relegated him to a bullpen role. Surely the Orioles hope that at a certain point, Bundy can be a valuable member of the rotation; he is only 23 years old after all.
So far in 2016, the Orioles offense hasn’t blown anyone away, but have just enough to win. Starting with a walk-off win in the season opener at Camden Yards, the O’s have had some huge moments from a variety of players.
Davis has two round-trippers, Machado has three of them and rookie center fielder Joey Rickard has even gotten in on the action with a homer of his own. Rickard has a hit in each game so far, eight hits in 18 at-bats, and seems to have found his home as the leadoff man. Mark Trumbo was brought in solely for his power and while he hasn’t hit a homer yet, he he has nine hits, while Machado also has nine.
Overall the Orioles offense is hitting .298 as a club (second in the league), but only have scored 22 runs which is ninth-best in the league. So while the offense hasn’t been tearing the cover off the ball like you would expect from an Orioles lineup and while it’s been the pitching that has been the difference maker so far, make no mistake, this is a club that is built to score runs and as the weather warms up, so will their bats.
Of course, even if their bats warm up, there is not guarantee that this team will remain at the top of the standings. Their first three games were against the Twins, far from a contender, and a rain out prevented them from playing a full three game set against the Rays. The Red Sox and Blue Jays traded punches this past weekend and the Yankees are leading the league in runs scored. And with the Rays’ pedigree, they are never a pushover, despite the team’s 2-4 start to the season.
Indeed, the Orioles are the wrong division if they want to sneak into the playoff hunt. Every team in the division is an above average team and the belief is still widely held, that when the dust settles, it’s the Orioles that will be watching the playoffs along with whoever else falls off the pace.
Low expectations aren’t a bad thing – in fact, some teams may welcome them. However, they are usually low for a reason and the O’s have to prove that their pitching has staying power and their offense can remain consistent and healthy as the season unfolds. Regardless, a 5-0 start is nothing to sneeze and while there at 157 more games to be played, it has to count for something. Right?
