The mere mention of it caused Bryan Baker to tilt back his head and laugh.
A selection to the All-Star Game? Baker will hold runners if they can actually reach base against him, but he won’t hold his breath.
“I don’t know about all that,” he said. “That’s a tough road.”
Baker has traveled a few in his professional lifetime. He’s learned how to fold the map.
There were times that he lost his job in the Orioles’ bullpen and fought to earn their trust again. Needing results to break camp with the team this spring, which coincided with an uptick in fastball velocity and renewed confidence in his changeup after a minute grip adjustment on the seams.
Baker has emerged as the backup closer to Félix Bautista, earning two saves and a hold in his last three appearances prior to the Sacramento series. He walked none and struck out six.
“He’s been awesome,” said shortstop Gunnar Henderson. “He’s come out and he’s dominated about every time that he’s thrown. It’s been really awesome watching him go to work, and I’m so happy for him doing this well.”
Seattle’s Leody Taveras struck out Thursday on a 98-mph heater, and Dylan Moore struck out on three pitches, the last at 97 mph, to complete the Orioles’ 4-3 win. Baker lowered his ERA to 2.57, and as The Baltimore Sun first wrote, he joined the Mets’ Edwin Diaz and the Astros’ Josh Hader as the only pitchers with a 35 percent-plus strikeout rate, a WHIP below 1.00 and multiple saves.
One of these things is not like the other, and Baker will be the first to point it out. But he hadn’t allowed an earned run in 12 of 14 appearances after leaving Seattle.
Baker entered Game 1 of a May 24 doubleheader against the Red Sox in the sixth inning, but he appeared in the eighth, eighth, eighth, ninth, eighth and ninth in his next six outings. The lower his ERA, the higher his leverage situations.
Ryan O’Hearn is the current favorite to represent the Orioles at Atlanta’s Truist Park, with a few others looming as possibilities. Baker isn’t a full-time closer or high-profile set-up man. He isn’t the biggest name in his own bullpen.
“It’s one of those things I don’t even look into because I know how ridiculously tough it is for relievers to make that team,” he said. “That’s usually the best three or four closers in the American League, it seems like. Yeah, I don’t even think about that stuff.”
* Coby Mayo is getting his chance. This is it.
Ryan Mountcastle is expected to miss eight-to-12 weeks with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. It’s always felt like Mayo’s only shot at regular at-bats in the majors was due to an injury or trade that created a spot for him.
Mountcastle stole home on May 30, which was cool to watch, but he hasn’t played since that game. And as usual, the timing of the injury is rotten. Mountcastle had seven hits in his last three games. He seemed to be getting hot.
This was supposed to be Mountcastle’s year, with the left field fence moved in and the hope that he’d stay healthy. He hit the injured list multiple times over the past few seasons, and now he’s gone for a significant chunk.
Mayo and Ryan O’Hearn can share starts at first base, and Emmanuel Rivera is on the roster for now. Jordan Westburg probably won’t be reinstated from the injured list until Tuesday, according to interim manager Tony Mansolino, who passed along updates to the assembled media in Sacramento. It makes sense to keep Mayo in the lineup and finally see what he can do.
* I wrote yesterday that O’Hearn’s .449 road on-base percentage was the second highest this season among qualifiers behind Aaron Judge’s .503.
There’s more to it.
The highest road OBP in a full season in Orioles’ history for qualifiers belongs to Ken Singleton at .443 in 1977. He made the All-Star team and finished third in Most Valuable Player voting in the American League.
* Before last night, the Orioles had collected 86.4 percent of their extra-base hits against right-handers (140/162). This would be the highest percentage in the last 50 years, according to STATS.
The 2002 Braves finished at 85.9 percent. This year’s Angels had an 82.9 percentage yesterday.
The Orioles’ next highest percentage in the last 50 years is 80.9 in 1999.
The more you know …