Tanner Scott returns to O's 'pen, working toward an extended stay

Hard-throwing lefty Tanner Scott is back again with the Orioles, officially added today from Triple-A Norfolk. Maybe this is the time he will stay for good after he's spent most of the last two months on the farm throwing well and throwing strikes.

"I was just trying to do my job and get outs and the past couple of times at Norfolk were really good. Just trying to win a ballgame and go day-by-day and try to get wins," said Scott this afternoon.

Scott is not sure if pitching well leads to confidence or having confidence leads to better results. But lately he seems to have both.

In 20 games this season for Norfolk, he is 3-2 with an ERA of 3.23 in 30 2/3 innings. And in 10 games on the farm since June 1 he has a 2.12 ERA over 17 innings with five walks and 25 strikeouts.

"Confidence is definitely key," Scott said. "When you are feeling good, you are usually rolling along with it. Yeah, it is important so I want to keep this confident feeling going."

And Scott has thrown six outings of two innings or more over those past 10 games. So he's trying to prove he can be more than a three-out guy.

"I think the most I went was 2.2. That is fine, whatever they need. It gives them a chance to see I can throw more than one inning."

For the Orioles in 2019, Scott has a 5.56 ERA, but has walked 11 over 11 1/3 innings. According to brooksbaseball.net, his fastball has averaged 96.2 mph and his slider 88.8.

Has Scott started to get used to being on the Norfolk-Baltimore shuttle? This is his third stint with the Orioles this season following time from April 11-30 and June 21-July 1.

"You just have to pitch. It's not easier or harder. It's just baseball and you've got to do your job and get results," he said.

And with a pitching staff's roster constantly changing there are times this year that optionable pitchers throwing well have been sent down because a fresh arm was needed.

"Is it concerning? No. It is whatever the club sees is best for that game. Someone has to get optioned. If you get sent down, you just can't let it get to you. Go down and do your job so you can get called back," he said.

"There is opportunity everywhere here. So you are trying to make pitches, get outs and get our team back in the dugout. Help put us in a situation to win."

Recently one challenge Scott had in Norfolk was making sure he found his name in the state sheet. When Tayler Scott was sent down to the minors, there were two players named Scott in the 'pen and with the first two letters of their first name the same as well. So he had to check whether the sheet read Scott, Tan or Scott, Tay.

"We consider ourself brothers. First two letters in the first name, so kind of different to see that scoring sheet with Tan Scott. Never seen that before," he said. "That was weird."

But that won't be a problem for him at least for tonight if he gets in this game. Scott has thrown well in Baltimore in the past and would like to reach the point he's throwing well enough to be around now for an extended stay.