Aunt Barbara is 92 years old and as passionate as ever about her Orioles. After a week at the Outer Banks, where she kept up with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she was upset with manager Brandon Hyde for removing Albert Suárez with nobody on base and two outs in the seventh inning against Tampa Bay. The Orioles were clinging to a one-run lead, and relievers Cionel Pérez and Craig Kimbrel couldn’t preserve it in a 2-1 loss.
“Why did he take him out there?” Aunt Barb asked me. I struggled with the decision in that spot, too, so I didn’t have a good reason.
I also didn’t understand removing Zach Eflin after six innings and 87 pitches against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, and replacing him with left-hander Gregory Soto, who allowed two of the three batters he faced to reach base. The Orioles escaped that jam and won, 5-1. On Friday night, he turned to Craig Kimbrel, who surrendered two homers and three runs in a 12-10 loss in which ace starter Corbin Burnes gave up 8 runs (in four innings) for the first time in his career.
When Hyde brought in Soto on Thursday night, broadcaster Kevin Brown mentioned that Hyde is trying to give Soto an opportunity to get back on track after a shaky start with the Orioles. Analyst Jim Palmer mentioned that Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver had the approach of winning today and worrying about tomorrow when it comes. But Hyde is clearly in a tough spot with Soto and Kimbrel, who has been awful since the All-Star break, and a bullpen that is far from airtight.
Seranthony Dominguez has become the team’s closer since arriving from Philadelphia and appears to have the stuff to hold that role. Yennier Cano also has tremendous stuff but struggles when his sinker climbs the strike zone. Pérez has outstanding stuff, too, but not control. They’ve become the top three since Kimbrel has faltered and left-hander Danny Coulombe had bone chips removed from his left elbow.
Burch Smith and Keegan Akin are among those who do best in non-leverage situations. But unless Kimbrel and Soto rebound, Hyde is in a Catch-22, especially as he tries to limit the innings of his starters. Burnes’ poor start on Friday night, in which he failed to go at least five innings for the first time, might be a one-time occurrence but it also could indicate some fatigue.
Back when Weaver was managing and Palmer was pitching, starters ruled. They worked far more innings and won far more games. Palmer won at least 20 games eight times, and, in 1971, the Orioles had four 20-game winners. It was a different time, and a different game in that regard.
Analyst Ben McDonald pointed out that the average start this season is 5 1/3 innings. That puts more emphasis on having a deep and effective bullpen.
So, while Aunt Barb and I might occasionally question the decisions of Hyde, he’s not wrong about needing to see if he can find the reset buttons for Kimbrel and Soto. With fewer than 40 games remaining, he’s thinking long-term, and playoffs. He needs a bullpen he can trust.