Getty Albert Suárez pitching during a June 28 game against the Texas Rangers.
The Baltimore Orioles stuck with Albert Suárez after two disastrous outings against the Astros and Yankees. He repaid them with his best outing of the season, and his longest since 2016.
Suárez pitched six scoreless innings against the Texas Rangers on June 28, in a third consecutive win for the Orioles.
It’s the 34-year-old’s first time going six innings since a July 2016 win as a member of the San Francisco Giants.
In his previous two starts, Suárez allowed 8 runs and 8 walks in 8.2 innings pitched. He didn’t allow one of either against the Rangers in his six innings on the mound.
Suárez told reporters postgame that he focused on keeping things simple against Texas.
“I was focused on one thing,” Suárez said on June 28. “Keep it simple.”
He admitted that the Rangers’ offense, ranked 20th in on base percentage, had an aggressive approach at the plate.
“Today I was just trying to pitch to contact,” Suárez continued. “They were aggressive the whole time and I was able to get quick outs.”
It’s his best performance in Baltimore, and one of the best of his career overall. Suárez’s response to adversity was an efficient, 87-pitch, scoreless night that lowers his ERA to 2.43.
Kimbrel Earns 18th Save of 2024
Elsewhere on the mound, Craig Kimbrel continues to shine. Even with his early-season slump, he’s been worth every penny of the $12 million Baltimore signed him for in December.
Kimbrel struck out two and gave up a ground-out hit in his ninth inning appearance versus the Rangers.
It’s his 18th save of the season, and his first when entering with just a one-run cushion. Kimbrel was previously 0-5 in such situations.
Team skipper Brandon Hyde applauded the 36-year-old closer postgame.
“He’s been magnificent for us,” Hyde told reporters on June 28. “He just kind of had that one 10-day funk and he’s come out of it. We gave him a little bit of a reset there with 3 appearances in different spots, and he responded like a pro. He’s been really good ever since.”
In the win over Texas, 12 of Kimbrel’s 18 pitches were four-seam fastballs. Asked why it worked so well, he said that batters aren’t hitting it hard enough.
“They’re not hitting it hard,” Kimbrel said in a postgame interview. “That’s why. Sometimes you throw it where you want and they hit it, sometimes you miss your spots and they don’t. Right now they’re just not seeing the ball well, and I’ve had some guys play some good defense behind me as well.”
Kimbrel, when asked about Suárez’s starting performance, made sure to note how long the 34-year-old spent out of MLB.
“He’s been doing it all year,” Kimbrel said on June 28. “I know his last one was a little rough. So I know he wanted to come out here and get back on track. He’s been great for us all year. Being away from the game for so long, and then coming back and doing what he’s doing this year, has been really fun to watch.”
Suárez went from September 2018 to April 2024 without an MLB appearance. In that span, Kimbrel played roughly 250 games.
Now both are contributors on a 52-30 Orioles team that leads the AL East.