Orioles starting pitcher Radhames Liz entered Sunday?s game against the Texas Rangers with an unblemished record. But Liz didn?t resemble a flawless pitcher as the Rangers chased him early and the Orioles fell, 11-10, in front of a crowd of 22,276 on a humid afternoon at Camden Yards.
“This is going to happen sometimes,” Liz said. “Not everyday is going to be perfect.”
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Orioles manager Dave Trembley said last week Liz (3-1) and the rest of the starting rotation needed to provide the bullpen with relief and stability by consistently pitching past the fifth inning.
Apparently, Liz wasn?t listening.
He lasted a meager 3 2/3 innings, yielding six runs ? four earned ? on seven hits with five walks and a pair of wild pitches. By the time the Rangers were retired in the fourth inning, they held a commanding 6-3 lead they would not relinquish.
And for the second time in four days, the Orioles? bullpen wasn?t there when it was needed. This past Thursday, the unit struggled in relief after a poor start by Garrett Olson, who yielded five runs in just 5 1/3 innings in a 10-7 loss to the Royals.
The bullpen was better on Sunday ? until the eighth inning. That?s when the Rangers (46-43) scored five times to push their lead to 11-5.
Orioles reliever Joe Johnson, who had beenone of the best relievers in baseball, was tagged for four runs, as he allowed four hits and a walk. George Sherrill wasn?t much better, either, as he was charged with a run on two walks and two hits.
“I thought we were going to get one today,” Trembley said. “We kept coming back but it comes down to the tempo set by the starting pitcher.”
Quality starting pitching has been an issue for the Orioles (44-43) all season. The Orioles have relied heavily on their bullpen, as the team ranks 13th in the American League with a lowly 38 quality starts in 87 games. A quality start is earned when a pitcher gives up three or fewer runs in six innings.
But the offense almost bailed out the bullpen on Sunday.
Right fielder Nick Markakis hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth, pulling the Orioles to 11-8. In the ninth, first baseman Kevin Millar and pinch hitter Melvin Mora hit solo home runs to trim the deficit to one.
Second baseman Brian Roberts, however, couldn?t keep the momentum going, as he struck out to end the game.
“I think we gave it everything we got,” Trembley said. “Like any other team, our success or failure, a large portion of that depends on your starting pitching.”
