Orioles need to double down on a strategy that backfired

The Baltimore Orioles starting rotation has been a major problem this year. As a group, the Orioles' starting pitching ranks 29th in baseball in ERA, ahead of only the Colorado Rockies, who play in the most uniquely hitter-friendly environment in baseball. So, out of the pitching staffs that play at a normal altitude, the Orioles have the very worst. Among the many things this Orioles rotation struggles with, pitching in the first inning and getting deep into games rank very high on the list of problems.

With that being the case, using an opener to get the Orioles through the first inning or two and then handing the ball over to the "starter" who can then try to pitch until the last couple of innings seems like an obvious solution.

The Orioles shouldn't give up on the opener strategy

The Orioles have dipped their toe into the opener pool twice this season. Both times, electing to have Keegan Akin pitch ahead of Chris Bassitt, whose early-inning troubles have been especially prominent.

The first time they did it, it worked like a charm. Akin pitched a clean first against an imposing top of the order vs the Athletics, and then Bassitt took over and cruised til the 8th innings. The second time wasn't quite so fruitful. Akin gave up a home run on the first pitch of the game, and then Bassitt labored through 4.1 innings.

Despite the hiccup in their most recent usage of the opener, the Orioles should not be scared away from continuing to lean on this strategy. Trevor Rogers has struggled mightily early in games over his last few starts. He too, could benefit from dropping into the game against the middle/bottom of the opponents' batting order.

Brandon Young's first innings ERA is 7.50. Why not let him start his day in the second or third inning and give him a soft landing so he can get a feel for his pitches against hitters not as likely to blast a first-inning mistake out of the ballpark?

The Orioles have multiple guys in their bullpen right now with experience starting games and pitching more than one inning at a time. Tyler Wells would be great in this role. Albert Suarez could maybe give you three innings as an opener, and then you could see if Brandon Young can just finish the game. Dietrich Enns, with his reverse splits, would be a great opener in front of fellow lefty Rogers.

The Orioles' season is in the balance. Now is not the time to be worried about players' pride or making everyone's stats look as clean as possible. The Orioles need to give themselves the best shot at winning every day, and with how their starters have performed, using an opener would do that.

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