Craig Kimbrel was on track to secure his ninth save of the season for the Baltimore Orioles, and the 426th of his career, when he threw a fastball down the middle to Eddie Rosario. The struggling Washington Nationals veteran hit it 413 feet to center field.
The Orioles were leading 3-2 with two outs in the ninth, but Kimbrel then threw an ankle-high fastball for ball four to the Nationals’ No. 9 hitter, Trey Lipscomb, slapping the mound in frustration. A walk to Jacob Young followed.
Manager Brandon Hyde walked to the mound and took the ball from the 35-year-old closer, marking the second straight outing in which Kimbrel was pulled in the ninth with Baltimore still ahead.
Despite these struggles, the Orioles managed to win both games, including a 7-6 victory over the Nationals in 12 innings Wednesday night. Hyde stated that he would continue to use Kimbrel in save situations, emphasizing his illustrious track record and the need to get him back on track.
The past two weeks have been challenging for Kimbrel, with just one save in his five appearances. He blew two saves in a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics, both leading to losses. In the second outing against Oakland, he began by throwing six straight balls, then gave up a go-ahead two-run homer to Kyle McCann.
After sitting out a few days with back tightness, Kimbrel returned to strike out the side in a victory against Cincinnati. However, in his next appearance, he struggled again, allowing runs against the Nationals before being replaced by Jacob Webb, who secured the save.
In his last five outings, Kimbrel has allowed six runs and walked seven over 2 1/3 innings. While he still possesses an upper-90s fastball and a sharp knuckle curve, his dominance has waned when his command is off or he’s not physically right.
Last year, the Orioles had dominance in the closer role with Félix Bautista, who struck out 110 batters in 61 innings. However, Bautista’s season was cut short due to injury, leading the Orioles to sign Kimbrel to a one-year, $13 million contract. Despite this, Kimbrel hasn’t been the same pitcher he was earlier in his career.
General manager Mike Elias is hopeful that Kimbrel will help the Orioles return to the playoffs and make a deeper run, but the veteran reliever’s recent struggles raise concerns about his effectiveness moving forward.