Taking the Orioles rotation for another spin

I'm never going to obsess over a pitcher's won-loss record due to all the factors that are out of his control. The lack or abundance of run support. Exceptional or poor play in the field. Blown holds and saves. Whether the manager is giving a long or short leash.

However, I'll bring it up here because three Orioles were found yesterday in the cluster of starters tied for second in defeats behind the Marlins' José Ureña (0-7).

Alex Cobb was 1-6 with a 7.32 ERA and 1.93 WHIP in eight starts, and opponents had posted a .379 average against him before he took the mound against the Nationals. He probably came upon those six losses honestly, given his struggles after signing on March 21.

Cobb was saddled with his seventh loss yesterday. He served up Anthony Rendon's three-run homer in the third inning and the offense was silent again in a 6-0 loss to the Nationals.

Andrew Cashner is 2-6 with a 5.07 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in 11 starts, and opponents are batting .290 against him. Dylan Bundy, who pitches tonight against the Nationals, is 3-6 with a 4.45 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 11 starts. Opponents are batting .240 against him.

Bundy and Kevin Gausman each have six quality starts, compared to four each for Cashner and Cobb. Rookie David Hess has two quality starts in his three major league outings.

Bundy's 5.89 run support average brings bat envy from Cashner (2.69).

The Orioles began yesterday with a 5.60 ERA from its rotation in 53 games that ranked last in the majors - the Reds were 29th at 5.59 - and wasn't much of an improvement from last year's 5.70 ERA, which rated as the worst in club history. Cobb lowered it to 5.55.

Like everyone else in the group, Bundy is striving to gain consistency as he dazzles and disappoints. He went the distance in his last start in Chicago, striking out 14 batters in a 9-3 win over the White Sox. He also shut out the Rays on two hits over seven innings on May 13. But Bundy surrendered three home runs over six innings at Fenway Park on May 19 and didn't retire a Royals batter in a historic May 8 outing while giving up four home runs.

Bundy allowed only five earned runs in his first five starts for a 1.42 ERA before the Rays reached him for seven earned runs and eight total with 11 hits over 4 2/3 innings on April 26. It kicked off a bad three-start stretch before he blanked the Rays.

The Nationals have limited exposure to Bundy, his only career start against them coming on Aug. 22, 2016. He allowed two runs and three hits over six innings in a 4-3 win at Camden Yards.

Rendon is 1-for-3 with a home run against Bundy.

Cue the "Welcome Back" video for Jeremy Hellickson, who made 10 starts with the Orioles last summer and went 2-6 with a 6.97 ERA and 1.277 WHIP. The Nats signed him on March 17, and he's posted a 2.13 ERA and 0.895 WHIP in seven starts over 38 innings. He averaged 3.0 walks and 5.4 strikeouts per nine innings with the Orioles and is averaging 1.4 walks and 7.2 strikeouts this season.

Hellickson has completed the sixth inning in only one start, but he's allowed only two runs and walked two batters this month in 22 2/3 innings. He's struck out 22 and given up one home run.

The former Rays and Phillies right-hander is 9-4 with a 3.38 ERA and 1.163 WHIP in 19 career games (17 starts) against the Orioles. He's 4-4 with a 5.80 ERA and 1.514 WHIP in 14 games (13 starts) at Camden Yards.

Chris Davis wasn't in yesterday's lineup, but he's 11-for-30 (.367) with three doubles, two home runs and nine RBIs lifetime against Hellickson. Adam Jones is 16-for-44 (.364) with one double and four home runs.

Manager Buck Showalter sat Jones Sunday, citing the usual soreness and the desire to get him off the turf at Tropicana Field. Jones fouled a ball off the inside portion of his knee yesterday while facing left-hander Gio Gonzalez, but he stayed in the game.

Jones can catch fly balls much better than breaks.