The Baltimore Orioles recently clinched their ticket to the postseason. They’ll hold the first wild card spot and October baseball will be seen at Camden Yards. While it’s exciting that the Orioles have a chance to compete for a championship, however, there is plenty of concern surrounding this team. Baltimore’s bullpen has been the worst in the second half of the season. It’s part of the reason why despite high expectations, the Orioles failed to win the division. For a team to have success in the postseason, it must have a bullpen they can rely on. With how unreliable the Orioles bullpen has been, Baltimore could be eliminated early from the postseason again.
The Orioles Bullpen Has Struggled In The Second-Half
The Baltimore Orioles bullpen has been one of the worst in baseball during the second half of the season. The Orioles’ relief corps has registered a putrid ERA of 4.97 which is the third worst during that span. Relievers Cionel Perez, Matt Bowman, and Bryan Baker have all had a horrible September. Gregory Soto has been a trade deadline bust since coming over from the Philadelphia Phillies. Setup man, Yennier Cano saw his ERA jump from 2.67 to 3.20 since September 10th.
The Orioles’ closing situation has been shaky all season. After designating Craig Kimbrel for assignment in mid-September, they inserted trade acquisition Seranthony Dominguez as their new closer. While Dominguez has converted ten saves and pitched in the postseason before, he is a first-time closer. Dominguez’s success has been somewhat the product of luck as he has a FIP of 5.44. There is a big difference between being a middle reliever and a closer in the postseason. It remains to be seen if the 29-year-old can handle “closer pressure” this October.
Extra Pressure On The Starters To Go Deep Into A Game
Embed from Getty ImagesDue to Baltimore’s bullpen concerns, this now puts extra pressure on starters like Corbin Burnes, Zach Eflin, and Dean Kremer to pitch deep into games. However, in the postseason, a starter’s leash is much shorter. Unlike the regular season, a team can’t afford to hope a starter can get out of a jam. Given how high the stakes are in the postseason, a starting pitcher’s leash in the postseason is much shorter. This means teams will often make pitching changes a lot earlier than normal. Oriole fans hopefully know that expecting a starter to always pitch deep into a game is illogical. If Baltimore has to take a starter out early, they could be in trouble.
A Leaky Bullpen Could Cause Another Early Elimination
Embed from Getty ImagesTo win a championship in today’s game, a team must have a bullpen it can rely on. One can make the argument that a reliever or closer is the most important position in baseball. Heading into the Wild Card series, Baltimore doesn’t have a reliable bullpen. At this point, the Orioles have to pray that their starters can pitch deep into the game. If the Baltimore Orioles have to heavily use their bullpen, then they could suffer another early exit from the postseason. A leaky bullpen could be the difference between a deep postseason run and another missed opportunity for this current core.
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