Baltimore Orioles vs Los Angeles Angels: 3 takeaways from the Birds’ abysmal series loss

The pitching staff has reached a crisis point

I was high on Dylan Bundy and Chris Tillman heading into the week. The righties were set to start the second and third games of the series, respectively, and both seemed to be pitching well enough to handle a struggling Angels lineup.

That didn’t happen. Bundy was ineffective with his fastball, giving up seven runs in just over four innings of work; with his last two starts, his ERA has skyrocketed from 1.42 to 3.76. Tillman, who had pitched seven scoreless innings in his previous outing, was much, much worse, surrendering five runs in the first frame alone. He came out to pitch the second, but after Mike Trout got his second RBI of the night, the former All-Star was finally pulled.

The Orioles’ other starter in the series, Alex Cobb, was better, giving up two runs over six innings. But that solid performance brought his ERA down to 9.68, which should give you some idea of how his earlier starts went.

And don’t look to the bullpen to cure the team’s ills. With Zach Britton sidelined, the Birds’ most accomplished reliever is Brad Brach, who has given up six earned runs over his last four outings. Darren O’Day and Mychal Givens have been serviceable, but nothing more than that.

It’s no secret that the Orioles have struggled to develop pitchers in recent years, but their 5.21 ERA in 2018 is a new level of futility. Put simply, something must change.