Getty Kyle Bradish reacts during a May 26 game against the Chicago White Sox.
After an injury scare derailed the top of his season, Kyle Bradish is back like he never left for the Baltimore Orioles, striking out 11 batters in an outing against the Chicago White Sox.
In his fifth game of 2024, he went seven, no-hit innings. It’s his longest outing since a September win over the Washington Nationals.
After the 4-1 win over Chicago, Bradish downplayed his career-performance when talking with MASN Sports.
“I wouldn’t say I had my best stuff,” Bradish said on May 26. “I mean, I walked four guys and pregame bullpen wasn’t great, but that happens sometimes,” he said. I was able to execute pitches when I needed to. Had some double plays there. Mac (James McCann) had good fingers back there.”
Baltimore sweeps the White Sox on the heels of a season-best outing from the starting rotation. Bradish has thrown 25.2 innings and 34 strikeouts in 2024, good for a 1.75 ERA.
Hyde Pulls Bradish After Seven
When the Orioles pulled Bradish after seven, they were on the cusp of their first no-hitter since May of 2021.
No one has ever thrown a no-hitter in Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Jim Palmer threw the last no-hitter on Baltimore home ground against the Oakland Athletics in 1969 on the field at Memorial Stadium.
So, naturally, when Bradish exited the game after seven, a large portion of the fanbase wanted to see him return for the eighth.
Team manager Brandon Hyde intervened, sending reliever Danny Coloumbe out in the eighth to end his starter’s day on the mound.
After the game, he talked with MASN Sports about the decision to pull Bradish instead of allowing the him to pursue the no-hitter.
“No choice there, unfortunately,” Hyde said on May 26. “Just with, it’s 103 pitches. He hasn’t got that far, and coming off an elbow strain early on and the whole thing. That’s difficult because you want to see him stay out there and he’s thrown the ball so great. He was absolutely fantastic and it’s great to get a sweep here.”
103 pitches is a new season-high for the Orioles’ number two starter. Bradish wasn’t surprised that it was the cut-off.
“I kind of figured coming off 103 pitches or whatever, especially coming off an elbow injury,” Bradish told MASN. “I think once you get to the 100-mark, finishing an inning is where you’re at.”
Coloumbe gave up a home run to designated hitter Dany Mendick in the bottom of the eighth. And that was that for Baltimore’s chances at a no-hitter.
Coloumbe: “I Feel Sick”
After giving up the only White Sox hit in all nine innings, Coloumbe was asked about breaking Bradish’s no-hit performance.
“I feel sick because Bradish threw the heck out of the ball,” Coloumbe told MASN postgame. “He deserved that today. Of course, (a no-hitter) is on your mind. You just think, ‘I’ve got to execute a pitch at a time.’ The goal is to just have a clean outing. I just didn’t execute one pitch.”
“I’m pissed off,” Coloumbe continued. “Honestly, I’m just pissed off at myself. I feel sick. He deserved that today and I just didn’t do my job today.”
Coloumbe faced two more batters before being pulled for Yennier Cano.
Baltimore allowed no hits over the remaining inning and a third, and closed the series out with a sweep and an asterisk on Bradish’s big performance. But for the righty, seeing his arm bounce back from injury is enough.
“It means a lot just getting back to kind of where I need to be and where I was last year,” Bradish said. “That’s just a testament to the hard work that I put in with the rehab and where I’ve been at gradually getting better each start.”
Bradish suffered a sprained UCL in February at the start of spring training. You couldn’t tell in his performance against Chicago.