Eflin perfect through fifth in return to rotation, Orioles find offense in 6-1 win (updated)

DENVER – The Orioles recorded a hit with a runner in scoring position to take a quick lead, and Zach Eflin retired the side in order on 10 pitches in his return from the injured list. Maybe, just maybe, the Orioles would make it through the afternoon in good health and with a series win. Leaving the drama at the entrance to Coors Field. Starting a new month with a new attitude and better vibes.

They couldn’t possibly know what else Eflin would deliver.

Eflin retired the first 15 batters on only 49 pitches to flirt with the first perfect game in franchise history. He’d settle for seven innings of one-run ball in a 6-1 victory over the Rockies before an announced crowd of 32,961 on another gorgeous Denver day.

Eflin was barreling toward the first Orioles complete game since Dean Kremer on Sept. 23, 2022 against the Astros at Camden Yards. Kremer left last night’s start in the fourth after taking a line drive off his right forearm area. An odd connection was brewing.

Chad Kuhl tossed the last complete game at Coors Field on June 27, 2022.

Standing at 58 pitches through the sixth positioned Eflin to join the group, but he threw 27 in the seventh while the Rockies strung together three two-out hits. The final batter, Jake Cave, struck out to give Eflin nine.

Asked whether he was surprised by Eflin's performance given the gap between starts caused by the shoulder inflammation, manager Brandon Hyde said, “Yeah, big time."

"We had a limited pitch count on him, too," Hyde added. "It was in the 80-to-85 range. I wasn’t expecting him to go seven innings. But five perfect innings and just really good breaking ball. He’s got such good command of all of his stuff. But you never really know. Guy hasn’t pitched in two weeks. Just throwing a side and that’s it, and goes out and does that. In this park, too, with this altitude and how thin the air is here. Pitchers struggle here and that was an awesome performance.”

John Means threw the last of six Orioles no-hitters on May 5, 2021 in Seattle. James McCann caught two previous no-hitters and was behind the plate today. For a while, it appeared that McCann might make shared history again.

The first Rockies baserunner came when Cave led off the sixth by slapping a ground ball up the third base line and inside the bag at a mere 50.6 mph off the bat. Coby Mayo was playing Cave to pull and had no shot at a play. Perfection died in slow motion.

A wild pitch and walk tightened the pressure on Eflin, but Jackson Holliday started a double play and Ezequiel Tovar was retired on a tapper near the mound.

The entire episode cost Eflin only nine pitches. He struck out the first two batters in the seventh before Brenton Doyle beat out a grounder between short and third at 66.9 mph and Michael Toglia lined a 103.4 mph single into right field on some long-delayed hard contact. Nolan Jones singled to shave the lead to 6-1 and bring pitching coach Drew French to the mound.

Five starts from Eflin since the Rays trade have produced five quality outings with seven runs in 32 1/3 innings. He returned to the active roster on his first day of eligibility and his importance was on display again.

"He’s just been great for us," Hyde said. "We’ve got to keep him healthy this last month. That’s gonna be key. But he just pitches like a total pro and he’s such a competitor and he’s got such confidence in all his pitches. I think Mac just did a great job with him once again. They’re on the same page. Did an unbelievable job of mixing speeds. And he’s got good stuff and he throws the ball down and at the knees.”

"That was an awesome performance, especially coming off the little shoulder soreness," said Gunnar Henderson, who finished with two RBIs. "That was really awesome to watch, and glad we were able to get some runs for him out there.”

"He had really good stuff," McCann said. "His breaking balls were really good despite the thin air here or whatever you want to say. A lot of times guys will say that their breaking balls don’t behave the same way but his were really good. Scouting report, we didn’t go in thinking that we were going to throw that many curveballs and sweepers but it was one of those things that was so good that we kept getting away with it."

Eflin thought he could maintain his sharpness after the shutdown period.

"I'm such a command guy and a field-based pitcher, I've got to live on the corners, so that's what I've been focusing on the entire time I've been on the IL when I've been throwing and feeling better," he said. "It was just nice to go back and compete again and to be able to live on the corners and keep them guessing.”

The role with the Orioles suits Eflin, who prefers to keep it simple.

“It's more so just taking the ball every fifth or sixth day that I'm asked to and not changing anything, going out there and competing, and not overthinking anything, not overreacting to anything," he said. "Just go out and play baseball, man.”

Mayo was hit by a pitch in his first at-bat after his recall from Triple-A Norfolk, proving again that the rookie blends with his teammates. He wasn’t hurt, though, and he’d later single and score. The Orioles dealt out the punishment.

McCann hit a 429-foot, two-run homer in the fourth, and the Orioles improved to 79-59 and moved within a half-game of first place. They went 3-3 on the trip and are preparing for a three-game home series against the 31-107 White Sox. They hadn't won a series before today since Aug. 9-11 versus the Rays.

"It’s human nature to scoreboard watch, it’s human nature to watch what other teams are doing," McCann said. "At the end of the day we know that we still have to take care of our business. If we take care of our business we’re going to be where we need to be in 24 games. Is that how many we have left? So yeah, it’s tempting to allow the outside noise and the pressure of the situation to get to you, but this a very even-keeled group and understands that there’s certain things we can control and certain things that we can’t and we’re going to focus on the things that we can control."

A four-run uprising in the fourth was aided by Colorado’s shoddy defense. Eloy Jiménez led off with a walk and came around to score when Mayo singled into right field for his second major league hit and the ball skipped past Cave. Mayo motored to third base, did the turning-on-the-faucet and sprinkler gestures before shrugging at the dugout, and came home on Cedric Mullins’ popup that fell behind second baseman Brendan Rodgers.

Mullins lowered his head and tossed his bat after making contact, assuming the out. Mayo wisely kept drifting down the line and scored easily.

McCann followed with his fifth homer at 108.3 mph off the bat, and the Orioles led 5-0 – their largest margin since Aug. 20.

That was ample for Eflin, who struck out the side in the third inning with his curveball, giving him five his first time through the order. A sixth strikeout, on his cutter, concluded the fourth inning. The fifth also was a breeze at six pitches, though Mullins had to charge Doyle’s liner and Toglia aimed one at Holliday.

"Any inning that I have less than 10 pitches, I'm extremely happy with immediately," he said. "So, I was excited to keep the pitch count down and stay in the game as long as possible."

Eflin’s final line included four hits and one walk. Matt Bowman worked around a walk in the eighth and Gregory Soto notched his ninth consecutive scoreless appearance after allowing two singles.

Picking up where he left off was "kind of the goal," Eflin said.

"Throwing these past couple bullpens in the last week was more so just location-based and making sure I'm feeling good and taking that out to the game.”

And also making some concessions for his environment.

"I learned a couple outings ago here that you can't really look into anything that you throw, like numbers-wise, analytic-wise," Eflin said. "Just go out there and compete and live on the corners. I think that's helped me out a lot. Along with not being result-driven, being more so process-driven, has helped me out a lot. So, kind of going out there, not worrying about what this stuff is doing, just making sure I'm throwing it where I want to is big for me out here.

“Curveball was actually doing pretty well today. It's kind of a tough spot to throw a curveball but we were getting some depth on it and keeping it short and Mac called a great game, so really following his lead. Backdoor cutters were working. So, it's just a good mix.”

Former Orioles left-hander Ty Blach allowed the first three batters to reach in the first inning and fell behind 1-0. Austin Slater walked and Anthony Santander and Henderson singled. A chance to inflict more harm fizzled after Emmanuel Rivera grounded into a double play.

Blach, added to the roster this morning, would take his beating in the fourth.

It felt good for the Orioles to administer one.

“A lot more comfortable out there," Henderson said of the offense. "It looked like we were just playing ball. Not trying to do too much. Felt like it was a good all-around day today.”

Said McCann: "It’s a lot easier to go out there and pitch when you’ve got a four, five run lead versus a tight ballgame. So honestly, anytime our offense can get out to a start like that is huge."

Henderson added an RBI single in the seventh off Anthony Molina that plated Holliday, who singled and stole his third major league base.

“We have guys coming back but we’re grinding," Hyde said. "We’ve been grinding for a couple months and it’s not been easy and every game seems difficult. We’re winning some close ones, we’re losing some close ones. I’d like to try to find some consistency. It’s hard right now. But we’re just looking for some spark to kind of get it going to get on a little bit of a run.

"Nice to win this series. Finished the road trip .500. That’s not what we went out to do, but winning a series is a start.”

The Orioles must keep plowing ahead when injuries threaten again to crush their pennant hopes.

"Yeah it’s tough, right?" McCann said. "If it’s not one thing it’s been another. But this is what you train for all offseason, this is what you plan for all season long is this month, the last 30 days of the season, competion for a division title and competition for a playoff spot and then obviously, hopefully, a long October run."

* Reliever Jacob Webb, on the injured list with right elbow inflammation, begins his rehab assignment tonight with Norfolk.

Infielder Jean Segura requested and was granted his release from Norfolk after the Orioles signed him to a minor league deal on Aug. 9, according to a source. He went 7-for-51 (.137).

* Hyde said it's too early to know whether Kremer avoided the IL, but he added, "I would be really surprised if he’s pitching in four or five days.”

"You can only imagine, they’re definitely both really sore today," he said of Kremer and Ramón Urías. "Ramon was a sprain. I think we got lucky with Dean because it got him in kind of a spot where ... we’ll see how long it’s gonna be.”