After 16 games of mediocre pitching, O's look for turnaround tonight as homestand begins

The Orioles' pitching stats are rather ugly right now. Through their 7-9 start, the team ERA is 5.15, which ranks last in all of Major League Baseball. The rotation's 5.82 ERA so far also ranks last in MLB.

The O's starters have pitched 5 1/3 innings or fewer for eight consecutive games. In 13 of 16 games, the O's starters have worked six or fewer innings.

During a four-game losing streak, starting pitchers have pitched just 16 innings, allowing 20 hits, 25 runs, 20 earned run and 16 walks, with 14 strikeouts.

The 2014 O's staff averaged 2.9 walks per every nine innings. So far this year, that number is 4.4.

While callers to local talk-shows and some readers to this blog like to say the issue is that the Orioles did little this offseason, they've returned most of their pitching staff, but they are pitching a lot worse so far this year.

So yeah, Captain Obvious says it's about the pitching. Toronto batters had their way with the Orioles, scoring 47 runs while beating the O's five of six times.

But before anyone looks for a bridge to jump off, keep in mind: They are just two games out of first, no one is playing that great in the American League East right now and the pitching staff started slowly last year, too.

The Orioles looked bad during a 2-5 road trip, and maybe it's a wakeup call for this team. The other teams in the East are ready to pounce if the Birds show any let-up or that they just aren't as good as their 2014 version.

The O's lapped the field in this division last year, winning 96 games and taking the division by 12 games. When they show up, now they are the top dog at which others are gunning.

On the plus side, Manny Machado produced his third two-homer game last night and first since Sept. 26, 2012. He is now 7-for-17 with seven RBIs his last five games.

But Steve Pearce is struggling, Chris Davis is striking out way too much and the Orioles are getting mixed results from their corner outfielders. They could really use the return of shortstop J.J. Hardy, and if catcher Matt Wieters and second baseman Jonathan Schoop follow that, it would be a plus.

It seems hard to remember this right now, but in the second-half last year, the Orioles led all of Major League Baseball with a 2.88 ERA. For the season, they finished third in the AL at 3.44.

Of all the issues and problems that have developed in the small sample size of 16 games, the shaky pitching from first the bullpen and now the starters tops the list.

Pitching carried the 2014 Orioles to the division title and 96 wins. The turnaround of that pitching will right their ship this year, if they can in fact begin to show the improvement.

Doing so during a nine-game homestand that begins tonight would be a great time to start.