O's rotation has had its recent struggles

The Orioles starting rotation, which got off to a strong start this year in the season’s first few weeks, now has been springing some leaks in the last few.

It is proving to be a challenge for a team that has gotten a strong performance all year from its bullpen but is trying to keep that bullpen fresh at a time when they have to cover so many innings.

Last night, for the eighth straight game and for the 14^th time in 15 games, the Orioles did not get a quality start. Right-hander Jordan Lyles struggled for the third game in a row. In the 7-5 loss at Kansas City, he went five innings, allowing eight hits and six runs and he gave up a pair of two-run homers. Right after the Orioles scored three in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 4-4, Lyles allowed a walk and a two-run homer to Carlos Santana to begin the last of the fifth.

Over his past three games, Lyles has an ERA of 8.16, allowing 13 earned runs over 14 1/3 innings. These three games followed a two-start stretch on May 18 and 23 versus the Yankees where he threw 106 and 117 pitches in back-to-back outings.

While Lyles did throw 96 pitches and he has thrown 90 or more nine times now, his ERA has gone from 4.10 to 4.97 these past three games.

When this series began on Thursday night, the O’s rotation ERA of 5.01 for the year ranked 14^th and next to last in the American League, ahead of only Kansas City at 5.41. The O’s rotation ERA was 6.38 the past 14 games and 6.49 the past 27 games.

So yes, the rotation is springing some leaks right now. In those 27 games, O’s starters have thrown less than five innings 16 times. The rotation is of course without ace John Means, who had surgery, and also without Grayson Rodriguez, who was on the cusp of making his MLB debut. But now he is rehabbing a lat strain and he might not return this season.

And no one at Triple-A Norfolk right now is knocking hard on the door to a rotation spot. Dean Kremer and Kyle Bradish are with the club now and DL Hall is probably at least a few starts away from making his MLB debut, maybe more than a few.

On the farm: Triple-A Norfolk last night swept a doubleheader at Nashville to move over .500 for the year at 29-28. The Tides are 14-7 in the last 21 games.

In the opener, the Tides won 5-4 as Jordan Westburg went 3-for-4 with a double, homer and three RBIs. Gunnar Henderson went 0-for-1 with two runs and two walks. Jacob Nottingham hit his eighth homer and his OPS is now 1.003.

In the nightcap, the Tides won 5-3 as Henderson went 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI and Westburg did not play. Richie Martin tripled in two runs in the victory.

César Prieto hit his first Double-A home run, a solo shot as Bowie lost 6-4 at Harrisburg. Joey Ortiz drove in three for the Baysox.

High Single-A Aberdeen keeps rolling and keeps pitching in a 6-1 win at Brooklyn. The IronBirds (37-16) are 4-0 in this series, allowing just three total runs. Houston Roth and Jean Pinto combined for eight innings last night yielding the one run. Colton Cowser had a big night, going 3-for-3 with four runs, two doubles and two walks and his OPS is now .783.

Low Single-A Delmarva lost 15-5 to Fayetteville. In this game Frederick Bencosme, age 19 from the Dominican Republic, made his A-ball debut and went 3-for-5 with three singles and an RBI.