Throughout the season, the Baltimore Orioles have heavily depended on Corbin Burnes’ performance. When he falters, which is infrequent, it typically leads to a loss.
This was the case against the Houston Astros on June 22. Burnes’ impressive streak of 10 consecutive quality starts ended as he allowed 4 runs over 7 innings.
This marks just the third loss of the season for the Orioles’ ace. Reflecting on the end of his two-month streak, Burnes discussed the two pitches that led to his downfall with reporters after the game.
“I threw the ball really well today,” Burnes said. “It sounds odd to say after a 5-1 loss where I gave up four runs, but looking back briefly, my command was the best it’s been, and my stuff was the best it’s been. I made two mistakes over the plate that they hit out. Otherwise, it’s a 1-1 ballgame in the seventh.”
Yordan Alvarez hit a 420-foot home run off an 88.6 mph changeup, giving the Astros a 3-1 lead. Chas McCormick extended the lead to 4-1 with a home run off a 95.6 mph cutter two innings later, and Baltimore couldn’t recover.
Burnes now has an 8-3 record this season, with 94 strikeouts and a 2.35 ERA in 99.2 innings. The Orioles aim to avoid a series sweep with Albert Suarez set to pitch in the final game.
Burnes and Westburg Downplay Tough June Stretch
Baltimore has endured a grueling schedule, playing 20 games in 21 days, including tough opponents like the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies.
Burnes downplayed the impact of the challenging June schedule on the team.
“I don’t think so,” Burnes said. “We knew this stretch would be tough. We’ve played great baseball and managed our off days well. Tonight we faced one of the league’s best pitchers who performed well. You’ll encounter those tough games. But overall, we’ve played great baseball.”
Third baseman Jordan Westburg, who hit his 12th home run of the season in the first inning against Houston, agreed.
“I think we’re playing good baseball,” Westburg told Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. “It’s easy to overreact to the first two games of a series, but we play 162 games, and losses are inevitable. Given our tough June schedule, it’s expected at some point. We can’t be perfect and go 162-0.”
Burnes’ Off Night Highlights Orioles’ Need for Pitching Help
Adding new pitchers won’t alter Burnes’ rotation schedule but can provide bullpen support, potentially reducing his innings in tough games like the recent one against the Astros. It also means the Orioles can’t afford to rest him during weaker parts of the schedule.
As of June 22, the Orioles are missing several key pitchers, including Danny Coulombe (out until September), Dean Kremer (rehabbing), Kyle Bradish (out for the season), John Means (out for the season), and Tyler Wells (out for the season). This includes four starters and their best reliever.
With the July 30 trade deadline approaching, the Orioles are expected to be active in the pitching market. According to Ken Rosenthal in a June 12 column for The Athletic, the Orioles are exploring bullpen options and may also consider adding a starting pitcher.
“In order to preserve Burnes and other starters for an October run, acquiring depth for the bullpen is critical for the Orioles,” Rosenthal wrote.
