To be clear, NOBODY should be sounding the alarm at the Baltimore Orioles’ 2-3 record. We’re five games in. RELAX. What should concern folks is the fact that starter Zach Eflin left tonight’s game with a shoulder injury. Eflin’s line: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K,
Seven strikeouts over three innings plus is something that’s fairly noteworthy in my view. The lone run that Eflin gave up was a solo home run by Duran. But he righted himself. And solo home runs don’t hurt you.
However with two on and two outs in the fourth, manager Craig Albernaz and the training staff came out to tend to Eflin. Following a discussion, Eflin was lifted from the ballgame. The Orioles later said he left the game with right elbow discomfort.
As was seemingly the case last night, the Orioles would tie the game and then Texas would pop back on top. Pete Alonso’s solo homer in the fourth tied the game at one. However Langford’s RBI-triple and Seager’s RBI-single in the fifth gave Texas another lead at 3-1.
However the difference between this game and perhaps games last year was the fact that the O’s battled back. Gunnar Henderson’s two-RBI double tied the game back up at three. But Texas wasn’t about to be messed with. Nimmo’s RBI-single in the sixth gave them the lead back at 4-3.
They would extend that to 7-3 on a three-run home run in the seventh by Jansen. Seager would also add a solo shot in the ninth. The O’s would get two back in the last of the ninth on Taylor Ward’s two-RBI double in the last of the ninth, but that was too little too late. Texas wasn’t too much, and they now look to sweep tomorrow.
The ironic part was that Zach Eflin was always going to start tonight. Texas’ deGrom was a late add to the starting lineup. Yet it was deGrom who was in command. And Eflin, coming off of back surgery, who left the game early.
The Orioles now enter into a wait and see situation with Eflin. Perhaps it’s only tendinitis. Obviously we’ll find out. The good news is that the Orioles have good depth in the form of Dean Kremer or Cade Povich in the minors. The bad news is that this season is literally starting off the way last year did, especially when you add in the likes of Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg. And injuries decimated this team last year. Craig Alberbaz said after the game that it would probably be an IL situation.
There’s also some concern about the Orioles’ bullpen, this after tonight’s game. It was far from perfect. However the bullpen was also not used tonight as it was intended – given that they were tapped earlier than one would have thought due to the Eflin injury. This isn’t to say that recording outs shouldn’t be the expectation.
What the Orioles CANNOT do is what they did last year. Again, we’re five games in – RELAX, folks. However I said ad hoc last season that the Birds over-invested in analytics. From where they played their fielders, to which pitch was thrown. And opponents took full advantage; illustrated by first pitch sliders away going for home runs, or splitting outfielders. You have to have a proper happy medium between analytics and feel for the game. Mike Elias’ job should depend on it.
The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and Texas has not announced a starter. Game time is set for just after 12:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 