O's game blog: Is bullpen in good shape going into Texas series?

As the Orioles begin a four-game series tonight against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park, is their bullpen already getting used too much?

Well, the fact that O's starters have pitched more than five innings just once in eight games tells you the answer is yes.

But the bullpen still is in pretty decent shape heading into this series. The O's have Tyler Wilson, T.J. McFarland and Dylan Bundy to thank for that. Over the last two games that trio has pitched a combined 6 2/3 out of seven bullpen innings. Darren O'Day is the only other reliever that was used the last two nights and that was for just 1/3 of an inning.

So while the O's long and middle relief has been busy the past two nights, the late relievers are rested as this series begins. In the Boston series, Zach Britton, O'Day and Brad Brach threw just 42 combined pitches. Even Mychal Givens, who needed 30 pitches to get four outs on Monday, has had two day's rest now. Wilson's three-inning outing last night and Bundy's outing of 2 1/3 innings on Tuesday helped the 'pen out big time.

In the Boston series, the O's starters went five innings each time for 15 total innings, while the bullpen pitched 11 innings.

The O's starters' ERA is 4.19 for the season and the O's 38 2/3 innings from their starters is the fourth fewest in the American League right now. The Orioles bullpen ERA ranks third in the AL at 1.67 but the relievers have pitched 32 1/3 innings, the second most in the AL to date.

So we all know what needs to happen here. Over the long haul of the season, the O's starters need to start covering more innings.

On the mound tonight in Texas, right-hander Chris Tillman (1-0, 1.29 ERA) faces 32-year-old left-hander Cole Hamels (2-0, 2.08 ERA). Hamels ranks sixth in the AL in ERA. Tillman is one inning short of qualifying for today's league leaders.

Tillman pitched two scoreless innings on opening day before a rain delay ended his outing. He went five innings allowing one run last Friday against Tampa Bay. In two starts, he has worked seven innings allowing four hits and one run with two walks and 10 strikeouts.

Left-handed batters are hitting just .083 (1-for-12) versus Tillman while right-handed batters are hitting .273 (3-for-11). Tillman, who turns 28 tomorrow, has a career record against AL West opponents of 15-3 with a 3.03 ERA over 27 games.

Hamels has pitched a total of 13 innings over his two starts, allowing eight hits and three runs with six walks, 12 strikeouts and a .186 average against. Since his trade from Philadelphia to Texas on July 31, 2015, he is 9-1 with a 3.44 ERA over 14 starts for the Rangers. He lost his first decision and since then has a nine-game winning streak, the third-longest in team history. The Rangers are 11-0 in his last 11 starts.

Hamels has allowed two of his three runs in the first inning. In the first plate appearance of the game, opponent hitters are batting .267 (4-for-15) against him. In plate appearances after that they hit just .143 (4-for-28) versus Hamels.

The Orioles went 6-1 against Texas in 2014, but just 1-6 last season. The Orioles have lost four in a row versus the Rangers.

Chris Davis is tied for second in the AL with four homers. Manny Machado ranks fourth in batting at .441 with Mark Trumbo fifth at .406. Machado leads the league in hits (15) and total bases (27) and ranks third in slugging (.794). The Rangers' Prince Fielder is tied for the league RBI lead with 10.