Struggles on the Mound Keep Orioles in Bottom Third of MLB

The offense has needed to step up for the club in a big way this year, and while that was to be expected, it was not expected for them to need to step up this much. There are not many lineups in baseball capable of bailing out a rotation as bad as this one, and the team has paid the price for it.

"Even before the season started," writes Buster Olney of ESPN, "it seemed as if the Orioles would need to hit enough to make up for their pitching challenges. Despite the surprisingly slow start for the offense, that continues to be the case, as there are few signs of a rotation turnaround. There are some ugly numbers. Opposing hitters carried an OPS of .920 in Camden Yards this season going into Wednesday's doubleheader. In Baltimore's losses, the team had an ERA of 8.59. The team's record in games in which the Orioles scored fewer than six runs: 5-19."

For more context, every pitcher who has started a game for Baltimore this year, including Keegan Akin and his 1 2/3 innings of a start, has allowed a combined 140 runs over 43 games. That averages out to 3.26 runs per game allowed by the starting pitcher, earned or unearned, not leaving much room for error from the bullpen.

Three-quarters of the 2025 season remain, and while it is not time to give up all hope just yet, that time is quickly approaching.