Chance Sisco on Andrew Cashner, the offense and more (plus farm notes)

The Orioles came home from winning three of four in New York in need of some deep starting pitching performances to rest a taxed bullpen.

Right-handers Dylan Bundy and Andrew Cashner delivered. They combined to allow two runs over 14 innings over the past two night, yet the Orioles have lost both games to Toronto. Scoring one run each night will cause that to happen.

The team that was so desperate for much of 2017 to get good starting pitching has seen Bundy and Cashner combine for an ERA of 1.89 and five quality starts among six outings so far. Yet the team is 2-4 in those games.

Yikes. That is wasting some outstanding starting pitching.

The Orioles have just 12 hits in this series and have scored three runs or less eight times during their 4-8 start. They have a team batting average of .208. The Orioles are 1-4 in five home games and have a team batting line of .147/.257/.250 with seven runs scored in those games at Camden Yards. In their five home games, they've scored three, two, zero, one and one run.

But Cashner has been outstanding his past two starts, allowing one run and six hits over 13 innings. Chance Sisco has caught both of those games.

What has been the key for Cashner in throwing so well versus the Yankees and Blue Jays?

"Command. Pounding the zone," Sisco said. "Fastball command and his slider was really good. Changeup and curveball when he needed it. We were working in and out, up and down with his fastball, and that really opened up the door for a lot of other things.

"He's made it really easy on me, honestly, by throwing strikes. Once you get that first-pitch strike, there are a lot of places you can go (to call pitches) after that. The fastball command opens up a lot of things."

The Orioles were being shut out last night until Sisco's RBI double in the eighth. Aaron Sanchez had a no-hitter through seven and then the Orioles got three straight hits in the eighth.

"I was looking to put a ball in play and for a pitch to hit," Sisco said. "Get something out over the plate with how good his stuff was. Anything up the middle would probably score a run, but was able to get the barrel to the ball and put it down the line."

Yet the Orioles are frustrated with their overall lack of offense right now. They've scored 39 runs in 12 games.

"Yeah, it's tough," Sisco added. "But we're battling and trying to put good at-bats together. We are trying to score runs for these guys. They deserve wins and it will come."

Shorebirds win again: With Single-A Delmarva leading the way with a 6-0 start, the Orioles' four full-season farm teams have combined to start the season 16-6 (.727). Single-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie are 4-2, while Triple-A Norfolk is 2-2.

The Shorebirds used three pitchers to beat Hickory 4-2 last night. DL Hall, the club's top 2017 draft pick, made his Delmarva debut and allowed one hit and no runs over three innings, throwing 30 pitches. Gray Fenter then went three innings, allowing four hits and a run, and Travis Seabrooke went three innings, allowing no hits and one unearned run.

Delmarva hasn't started 6-0 since its first season in 1996 when it was a Montreal affiliate. The next season, Delmarva became an O's affiliate and this is its best start as an Orioles farm club.

Elsewhere last night, Norfolk got a two-run single from Michael Saunders in a 7-1 win over Charlotte. Five Tides pitchers combined on a four-hitter, with lefty Josh Edgin getting the win. Bowie beat Erie 5-4 on Erick Salcedo's walk-off RBI double in the ninth. Cedric Mullins hit a three-run homer and the Orioles' Mark Trumbo began a rehab assignment with the Baysox going 0-for-3 with a walk. Frederick, which had been shut out in two consecutive games, routed Carolina 12-1. Daniel Fajardo had three hits and five RBIs, while Randolph Gassaway, who is batting .391, had three hits and a pair of RBIs.