O's make a closer change, but are not only AL East team with issues there

Tommy Hunter didn't leave Buck Showalter much choice. He simply was struggling so much and everyone could see it. He scores high on Buck's want-to meter but he was simply giving up too many hits and runs, and before it started costing the Orioles games, Showalter made the move.

For now, Hunter is no longer the O's closer.

Through all his struggles, they only cost the Orioles one game and that was Tuesday's loss to Detroit when he gave up two homers in the ninth. Hunter has suffered three blown saves on the year but the O's won the first two games. They are actually 15-2 when Hunter pitches this year, the other loss being a blowout loss early at Detroit.

But the numbers told his struggling story.

Last year, Hunter had an ERA of 2.81, a WHIP of 0.985 and .223 batting average against. This year, those numbers are 6.60, 1.867 and .365. He has given up eight runs and 10 hits over his last four appearances.

Showalter provided hints a change could be coming, but it wasn't confirmed until Zach Britton ran out to pitch the ninth last night.

The Orioles still need to get Hunter pitching better. We know he can struggle against lefties, but he had dominant stats against right-handed hitters in 2013 with a .141 average against and .344 OPS. Now those numbers are .382 and 1.050.

He is still a key part of this bullpen and getting him pitching better is a priority. We are going to see how new pitching coach Dave Wallace and bullpen coach Dom Chiti handle this one.

This is also a test for Showalter. He is adept at handling bullpens and now he's got to make some adjustments with this one. He sure pulled all the right strings last night, putting Darren O'Day into the game in the sixth and getting 3 2/3 perfect innings from four pitchers.

If the starting pitchers get deeper into games, it will help the cause. Four times in the last seven games, an O's starter went seven innings or more, and they've thrown 43 innings in that stretch. That's a little better. And that is with Kevin Gausman and Wei-Yin Chen pitching a combined 9 1/3 the past two days.

Meanwhile the Orioles are not the only American League East club that is dealing with closer issues. Grant Balfour struggled again last night for Tampa Bay.

Over the winter, the Orioles walked away from a two-year contract agreement with Balfour based on something they saw on the medical records, and they got roundly criticized for that.

Right now, it looks like the O's may have made the right call.

Balfour entered a game last night at Anaheim in the ninth with a 5-2 lead. He gave up walks to the No. 8 and 9 hitters and then an RBI single made it a 5-3 game. Joe Maddon took him out at that point and Brad Boxberger gave up a walk-off three-run homer to Mike Trout as the Angels celebrated a 6-5 win.

Is something wrong with Balfour? His average velocity last season was 93.3 mph and now it is 91.5 mph. This chart clearly shows a potential issue there.

Balfour has a 6.46 ERA and, over 15 1/3 innings, he has walked 14 and given up two homers. Maybe he gets his season together and this turns out to a bump in the road. Or maybe the O's were right to have concerns last December.

The twists and turns of the ninth inning. The Orioles make an early change there and Tampa Bay is dealing with problems there, as well.