High-wire act: Hunter puts them on base and then gets key outs

Does Tommy Hunter need to put runners on base before he dials it up and gets hitters out? Is he really the new Don Stanhouse, as MASN's Rick Dempsey said? The new Orioles closer is 9-for-10 in save chances after getting out of a one-out, runners on second and third jam against Tampa Bay last night. Hunter's stats after he gets a runner or runners on base are very impressive. Opposing batters are just 5-for-26 (.192) with nine strikeouts against him when they bat with one or more on base. In those situations with two outs, they are 0-for-9 with five strikeouts against the right-hander. When pitching with runners in scoring position, Hunter has allowed just two hits in 17 at-bats for an average of .118 with eight strikeouts. When pitching with RISP and two outs, opponents are 0-for-8 with five strikeouts against Hunter. That is impressive. The Orioles clearly have a game plan with Hunter in the ninth. He is throwing more than just mid- to high-90s gas. They are having him mix in curveballs and cutters to keep hitters from just sitting on a heater. It's been a success story so far, but how long can Hunter survive the high-wire act? Some other notes from last night's win: * After going 6-13 against Tampa Bay in 2013 and losing 11 of the last 13 games between the teams, it is important to see the O's start 3-0 this year against the Rays. They have a 1.33 ERA against Tampa Bay. Rays hitters have hit .194 with a slugging percentage of just .247 in the three contests. * J.J. Hardy's homer drought continues. Adam Jones has just one homer on the season, but Hardy is homerless over 22 games. In fact, Hardy has now gone 45 games and 176 at-bats since his last homer, which was Sept. 5 against Chicago. From 2011-13, Hardy led all major league shortstops with 77 homers. * Chris Tillman provided the Orioles with just their 10th quality start of the 2014 season in the win over the Rays. His six-inning outing was at least a little better after O's starters had gone 5 1/3 innings or fewer in four of the previous five games. Tillman was trying to produce the sixth game where an O's starter went seven innings or more. That has happened just twice in the last 19 O's games. * This stat might bode well for the Orioles: After going 15-23 (.395) in AL East road games last season, the Orioles are 7-4 (.636) so far in 2014, winning two series and tying one.