For starters, O's staff is rolling: Lyles, relievers pitch O's to shutout win

OAKLAND - It seems quite improbable. But at this early stage of the 2022 season, the Baltimore Orioles' pitching rotation and entire pitching staff is hanging with the best in baseball. And the latest example came on a cool, sunny afternoon in Oakland.

Right-hander Jordan Lyles, coming off a strong outing against the Yankees, had another one today, throwing five scoreless innings as the Orioles blanked Oakland 1-0. Four relievers completed the shutout, which included an impressive five-out save from Jorge López as the Orioles improved to 4-8.

When the game ended, the Orioles charged out of their first-base dugout.

“Our guys were fired up," said manager Brandon Hyde. "In the dugout, we exploded after that last out. What an amazing job by all of our pitchers, especially Lopie coming in there at the end of the game. The first-and-third situation in the eighth and got us out of that, and then an easy ninth. Jordan Lyles set the tone, five great innings."

Baltimore has scored just a single run for three straight games in Oakland, but today they got a victory out of it. 

Lyles had to battle, especially late in his outing, stranding two runners each in the A’s fourth and fifth. It was some solid, clutch pitching. In the fifth he got Sean Murphy looking at a 91 mph sinker to strand runners at the corners.

It was a five-inning outing in which he allowed five hits with one walk and six strikeouts on 89 pitches. He lowered his ERA to 3.52. His pitch mix was essentially 50 percent of the two- and four-seam fastballs and 50 percent secondaries. 

He has allowed just one run over 10 1/3 in his last two games against New York and Oakland. 

O’s starting pitchers just keep rolling:

* An ERA of 0.63 the last six games.

* An ERA of 1.13 the last nine games.

* An ERA of 2.68 for the year – fourth in the major leagues.

* O's starters allowed have allowed one earned run or none in six straight and eight of the last nine games. They have yielded just two earned runs the past six games.

And hey, the Baltimore bullpen is not half bad either, this season. 

López picked up his second save, and he did some real heavy lifting today. He came on with runners on first and third and one out in the eighth and got a strikeout and groundout. He was throwing 98 and 99 mph. In the ninth it was a 1-2-3 inning, and he fanned two more batters. 

He now has two saves this year, three for his career and an ERA of 2.57 with nine strikeouts in seven innings.

“It’s 99 mph sinkers and a really tough at-bat," said Hyde of his closer. "You saw the breaking ball, too, with huge bite on it. The changeup was really good to (Seth) Brown, He’s pitching with a ton of confidence right now and loving the role that he’s in. Really happy for him, just a great guy that has gone through a lot. For him to have this success is really cool."

López said he is surprised he is touching 99 mph in his bullpen role.

“Really blessed, just to be with this opportunity. We’ve been pitching really well the whole series. It’s contagious. A blessing to be healthy and pitching. Everything was working really good today," he said. 

This was the Orioles' third shutout of the season and the shutouts have all come in the last nine games. The team ERA is now 2.57.

The Orioles last 1-0 win was July 14, 2018 versus Texas and last 1-0 win on the road was June 6, 2018 at the New York Mets.

The Orioles played most of the game without starting catcher Robinson Chirinos. He was hit by a pitch in the O’s second and left the game for pinch-runner Anthony Bemboom, the backup catcher. A 92 mph fastball from right-hander Daulton Jefferies was up and in. It appeared to glance off his shoulder and then also off his face in the cheek area. After trainer Brian Ebel came out to look at him, Chirinos left the game.

Hyde though indicated postgame that the Orioles dodged a bullet and tests checked out on Chirinos who seems likely to avoid the injured list. 

He was batting .182/.333/.182/.515 with no homers or RBIs in his first nine games with the club.  

The Orioles cut down a run at the plate on an excellent relay in the last of the second inning. Billy McKinney led off with a single and then, on the 12^th pitch of the at-bat, Seth Brown doubled into the right-field corner. The relay went from right fielder Ryan McKenna to second baseman Rougned Odor to Bemboom at the plate. The original call was safe, and the Orioles challenged that. After a long replay review, the O’s got the out call to keep the game at 0-0. Brown fouled off seven straight Lyles pitches at one point before his double, but it didn’t provide a run in the A’s second.

Baltimore finally scored to break the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth against A’s starter Daulton Jefferies. McKenna, playing today as Austin Hays was rested, doubled to lead off the frame on a grounder down the third-base line. That ended an 0-for-7 start to the year for McKenna, including six strikeouts.

Batting next, third baseman Kelvin Gutiérrez sent a hard-hit grounder up the middle. It went off the glove of shortstop Elvis Andrus as McKenna scampered home on what was originally scored an RBI single. It was later changed to E6, and the run was unearned, but Baltimore had the lead. 

The Orioles today again hit some balls hard that were caught or right at someone, but nothing like last night. But in the top of the eighth with two on, Trey Mancini lined out at 106 mph and Ryan Mountcastle at 96.

But the O's got a much-needed win and can split this series by winning the fourth game on Thursday afternoon if the expected rain holds off. 

On the farm: From Triple-A tonight, right-hander Grayson Rodriguez threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings on one hit and fanned eight against Durham. He was extended to 75 pitches and lowered his ERA to 1.26 in three starts for the Norfolk Tides.