The front page of the Orioles’ daily game notes contains a section titled “Garcia’s Greatness.”

It’s both catchy and accurate.

Rico Garcia is having a season that’s requiring historical perspective. He’s allowed one run and one hit in 17 innings in his 18 appearances, with six walks and 19 strikeouts. Garcia notched his second career save last night in a 7-4 win over the Marlins, and his ERA is down to 0.53.

Garcia has faced 57 batters and the only hit is the home run from Kansas City’s Michael Massey on April 21.

This is coming from a guy who’s pitched for seven teams, including the Orioles twice. Three clubs employed him last year. He qualifies as a journeyman by any standards, by the exact definition, and he’s looking like an All-Star.

Such talk is premature in May, but he’s one of the best relievers in baseball. The issue is his role. He doesn’t really have one. He isn’t a closer or high-profile setup man, though he’s handled those responsibilities, among others.

Garcia’s 0.41 WHIP and .020 opponent average are the best in the majors among relievers. He’s the only pitcher since 1900 to allow one hit or fewer through his first 18 appearances. He’s stranded 12 inherited runners without allowing one to score, second most in the majors.

Garcia has faced 29 right-handed batters without allowing a hit, second most in the majors last night behind the Rangers’ Jacob Latz with 30.

Massey’s homer snapped Garcia’s franchise-record streak of 11 scoreless and hitless appearances to open a season.

Garcia began last night ranking in the top two percent of the league in average exit velocity (83.1 mph), hard-hit percentage (22.6) and whiff percentage (39).

Is anyone talking about him outside of Baltimore?

Garcia dropped a few hints in spring training that 2026 would be special. He tossed 5 2/3 scoreless and hitless innings with one walk and seven strikeouts, his camp stay interrupted by the World Baseball Classic.

Being out of options didn’t matter. The Orioles were keeping him.

The no-brainer was a smart decision.

*Teams were warned. Don’t let the Polar Bear get hot.

Pete Alonso mashed a three-run homer last night in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to seven games. He’s belted three homers during that stretch to go with his four doubles. He has an extra-base hit in seven of his last nine games.

Alonso loves facing the Marlins. He has 57 extra-base hits against them since making his major league debut in 2019, the most by any player against any opponent during that period. Cleveland’s José Ramírez has 55 against Detroit. He’s also among four players in major league history with two career games with four-plus runs scored against the Marlins, joining Steve Finley, Carlos Peña and Jimmy Rollins.

Oh, there’s more.

Alonso’s 33 career home runs against the Marlins are the third most among all active players after the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman (42) and Phillies’ Bryce Harper (39). He’s reached base safely in 25 of his last 26 games in Miami since July 31, 2022, with 10 doubles, six homers, 24 RBIs and 20 runs scored.

Alonso has 13 doubles, 16 homers and 40 RBIs in 50 games at loanDepot Park, his highest totals outside of Citi Field. He lined out to left field in the ninth inning last night at 110.8 mph.

Last night’s rally in the first inning started with Taylor Ward’s 32nd walk. Adley Rutschman was hit by a pitch and Alonso fell behind 0-2 before barreling a 98.6 mph fastball from Eury Peréz and sending it 407 feet to left-center field at 109.5 mph.

The Marlins responded with three runs against Brandon Young in the bottom of the first after he retired the first two batters. Former Oriole Connor Norby walked and former Oriole Kyle Stowers singled.

Young has allowed eight runs in the first inning in his last two starts. The Orioles have allowed 90 runs with two outs.

To Young’s credit, he kept the Marlins scoreless for the next five innings and registered a quality start.

Ward drew his 33rd walk with two outs in the fifth and scored on Rutschman’s double. He drew No. 34 in the seventh and raced home on another Rutschman double. His career high is 75 last season in 157 games.

*Easily lost in Tuesday night’s 9-7 win was left-hander Grant Wolfram’s appearance in the seventh inning.

Wolfram replaced Anthony Nunez, who surrendered back-to-back home runs with one out to reduce the lead to 7-6, and he struck out Stowers and Jakob Marsee.

Wolfram didn’t allow a run in six of his first seven appearances, and he didn’t surrender an earned run in nine of 11 to lower his ERA to 2.70. He was charged with two runs and didn’t retire a batter against the Red Sox, retired the side in order and struck out two against the Yankees and allowed a run and three hits in two-thirds of an inning the following day.

The ERA grew to 4.63 before Tuesday’s brief outing.

Wolfram replaced Young last night in the seventh and allowed a run on a leadoff double, fly ball and grounder to cut the lead to 6-4. He came out of the game with two outs and a runner on first base.

He’s up and down, and his ERA is 4.85.

What’s impressive is how Wolfram has walked only one batter and struck out 20 in 13 innings. He hasn’t allowed a home run in 34 consecutive innings dating back to July 21, 2025.

*Three other relievers needed to bounce back from rough stretches.

Andrew Kittredge strung together three scoreless appearances after his reinstatement from the injured list, but he allowed seven runs and seven hits in one-third of an inning Sunday in New York and was charged with an unearned run in two-thirds of an inning Tuesday in Miami.

Nunez had allowed seven earned runs and nine total with 10 hits over his last four appearances covering 3 1/3 innings before last night, and his ERA increased from 1.35 to 4.86. He replaced Wolfram in the seventh and struck out Norby on a sweeper.

Thirteen of Nunez’s 20 strikeouts have been recorded with his sweeper, and opponents are 2-for-23 against the pitch.

Nunez came back out for the eighth and retired the side in order to lower his ERA to 4.50.

That’s bouncing back.

Lou Trivino made his Orioles debut Monday after signing a one-year deal and allowed six runs in two-thirds of an inning.

The bullpen’s ERA before last night was 4.86 to rank 26th in the majors. The unit was a bright spot earlier in the season, and when asked about it in his last media scrum, president of baseball operations Mike Elias said, “Look, with the caveat like everything, it’s early, and I don’t want to go crazy in either direction about anything, but these guys are really pitching with a lot of heart and it’s good talent in the bullpen. And a lot of them are young and at the forefront of their careers. So we’re pretty happy with the work those guys have done.”

*Blaze Alexander’s second career triple last night scored Samuel Basallo in the eighth inning.

Basallo led off with a single into left field at 110.4 mph, another nice piece of hitting from the rookie. Alexander batted for the first time with two outs after replacing Coby Mayo at third base and dumped a fly ball into the right field corner.

Alexander’s other triple was Sept. 1, 2025 with the Diamondbacks. He’s 8-for-20 this month.

*Baseball America released its latest Top 100 prospects list, and right-hander Trey Gibson is the highest-ranked Oriole  at No. 69.

Ike Irish, listed as a catcher, is 74th. Outfielder Nate George is 81st and left-hander Luis De León is 84th.

Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin, who made his major league debut against the Orioles in Pittsburgh, hasn’t graduated from prospect status. He’s No. 1.

*The Orioles provided a couple of minor league medical reports:

Right-hander Trey Nordmann underwent successful thoracic outlet syndrome surgery this week with Dr. Greg Pearl in Dallas.

Right-hander Miguel Mesa underwent successful ulnar nerve transposition surgery this week with Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington.