Kyle Bradish and John Means are back, and their impact for the Baltimore Orioles was immediate.
Bradish allowed a run in 4 2/3 innings in a win over the New York Yankees on Thursday, then Means threw seven scoreless frames in a victory at Cincinnati on Saturday night. Both pitchers were making their season debuts after they began spring training with arm-related injuries. The Orioles got off to a good start even without them, but if Bradish and Means are healthy and effective, that would give Baltimore another boost as it tries to repeat as AL East champion.
Bradish in particular was a major part of Baltimore’s rotation in 2023 — and ultimately the Game 1 starter in the playoffs. Means returned from Tommy John surgery late last season, but prior to that lengthy absence he was the top starter on a much less talented Orioles team.
Baltimore recently lost second-year right-hander Grayson Rodriguez to the injured list, but the Orioles — who already have an imposing lineup led by Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman — are on quite a run on the mound. They allowed two runs total in a three-game sweep in Cincinnati, and they’ve held the opposition to two runs or fewer in seven consecutive games.
The Orioles won the AL East last year thanks to a 32-20 record against the rest of the division — they won the season series against each of the other four teams. This year they’ve already swept a three-game series at Boston and won three of four over the Yankees at home. Baltimore is 12-0-4 in its last 16 series against AL East foes.
CLASH OF THE TITANS
The Atlanta Braves finished with baseball’s best record last year, and the Los Angeles Dodgers did it the season before. They’re currently the top two favorites to win the World Series. This past weekend, they faced each other for the first time in 2024, with the Dodgers sweeping three straight games at home.