If O's rotation is going to get better, it has to start at the top

On Saturday night, Kevin Gausman gave the Orioles starting rotation a shot in the arm. Last night, Bud Norris did the same. The Orioles recently had an 18-game stretch where they didn't get a single start of at least seven innings. Now, Gausman and Norris have done that twice in three games. The Orioles have gotten some good starts lately, but they've also gotten some terrible ones. The issue moving forward starts at the top of that rotation - Chris Tillman and Ubaldo Jimenez need to get it going. O's starters have allowed two earned runs or less in eight of the last 11 games. That's a real good stat. But in the other three games in that stretch, O's starters were real bad and that is a problem. In the eight games where they got good pitching, the starters' ERA is 1.57. In the three other games, the starters' ERA is 17.28 with 16 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings. In those three games, the O's bullpen had to pitch 17 2/3 innings. Wow, not good. Not good at all. Here is the most concerning part. The O's top two starters - Tillman and Jimenez - are just not pulling their weight right now. Since mid-May, that duo has combined to make nine starts and has pitched to an ERA of 9.16. In his last four starts, Tillman is 1-0 with a 12.56 ERA. In his last five starts, Jimenez is 0-3 with a 7.04 ERA and 18 walks in 23 innings. Jimenez has allowed five earned runs or more in three of his last five starts after doing so just once in his first eight. Who saw this coming? Even Jimenez's critics and/or those against his signing could not have honestly predicted some of this, and just a few weeks ago some were calling Tillman an ace pitcher. Gausman gave the O's rotation a solid outing on Saturday night and Wei-Yin Chen came up big Friday against Oakland. Norris got it done last night. Miguel Gonzalez was pitching well before he went on the disabled list. But Tillman and Jimenez have a combined ERA for the season of 5.11. That is simply not going to be good enough. Hard to see the Orioles making the playoffs if that continues. Tillman (5-2, 5.20 ERA) gets the start against Boston tonight. He has pitched well in his career against the Red Sox, going 5-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 13 career starts. Maybe his turnaround begins tonight. In looking for long-term rotation improvement for the Orioles right now, it has to start with the pitchers at the top of that rotation.