Brach's knack for picking up wins

With Brad Brach headed to an arbitration hearing, the Orioles still determined to file-and-trial, we're going to learn about the relevance of a reliever's win total in the process.

Never judge a pitcher by his won-loss record. Kevin Gausman is a prime example of how run support and other factors wield a heavy influence. But Brach's record in 2016 is going to be placed in front of the three-person panel like a five-star meal.

Digest this:

Brach became the ninth reliever in team history to reach double digits in victories in a single season, going 10-4 with a 2.05 ERA and 1.038 WHIP in 79 innings over 71 appearances. He averaged 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings, stranded 24 of 27 inherited runners, led the club in holds with 24 and made his first All-Star team.

Stu Miller won 14 games for the Orioles in 1965, the club record for wins by a reliever. Dick Hall won 11 games in the same season.

Brach, Hall (1970), Don Aase (1985), Tippy Martinez (1979), Arthur Rhodes (1997), Mark Williamson (1989) and George Zuverink (1957) each won 10 games.

"I think that just goes to show how many close games we've been in," said Brach, who's 22-8 with a 2.61 ERA and 1.133 WHIP in three seasons with the Orioles.

"Obviously, I have no control over that. It's just going out there and not giving up a run and we just happen to score a run to win the game. I think as a reliever later in the game, it's not something you think about, but I didn't know it's only happened nine times. That's pretty cool to be part of that."

According to STATS, the 1966 world championship team had the most relief wins in club history with 39 in 55 decisions. The 1965 bullpen went 35-21.

Last year's relievers combined for a 30-13 record, matching the win total of the 2015 bullpen.

While fielding questions from the media at FanFest, setup man Darren O'Day talked about the bond that develops among the relievers who are isolated from the rest of the team during games. They have their own rituals and friendly rivalries, their jokes, their backpack full of candy.

"It's a competition. It's a healthy competition among us," O'Day said.

"We joke with each other all the time and motivate each other. We don't talk about what our individual goals are, but it's exciting having this competition - Brad and Mychal (Givens) and Zach (Britton) and all the guys who make their home down there. So it brings us closer.

"We're buddies off the field and on the field. The team spends so much time together over the seven and a half, eight months of the season, and then you get the bullpen guys who are off on their own for three hours a day. You don't have any choice but to like the guy and to want to beat him."

It won't be easy to top Brach's win total.

Brach is seeking $3.05 million for the upcoming season and the club has countered at $2.525 million. He made $1.250 million last season.

Executive vice president Dan Duquette repeated at FanFest that the club intends to go to arbitration with Brach, Gausman and Caleb Joseph.

"The club took the stance that if you file, there's a trial. We took file-to-trial this year," he said.

"We were able to resolve six of the nine cases and it looks like we're going to have to go to arbitration with a couple of them, but we were prepared. We're not afraid of the process. The Orioles have done well in arbitration. That's not our first choice. We tried to get a deal with all of the players, but we weren't successful in this case, and to the extent that we're at this stage of the season, I expect that we'll go to trial."

Shameless plug alert: I'm in studio today for "The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report" from 5-6 p.m. on MASN.