Kyle Bradish and John Means returned to the Baltimore Orioles’ lineup, and their impact was felt right away. Bradish pitched for almost five innings in a win against the New York Yankees on Thursday, while Means threw seven scoreless innings in a victory over Cincinnati on Saturday night.
Both pitchers had been out due to arm injuries since spring training. Even though the Orioles started the season well without them, having Bradish and Means healthy and performing well would give them an extra boost as they aim to defend their AL East title.
Bradish was a key part of Baltimore’s rotation last season and was even the Game 1 starter in the playoffs. Means returned from Tommy John surgery late last season and was previously the top starter on a less talented Orioles team.
Although the Orioles recently lost Grayson Rodriguez to the injured list, they have been performing well on the mound. They only allowed two runs in a three-game sweep in Cincinnati and have kept their opponents to two runs or fewer in seven consecutive games.
Last season, the Orioles dominated the AL East with a 32-20 record against the other teams in the division, winning the season series against each of them. This year, they have already swept a three-game series against Boston and won three out of four games against the Yankees at home. They have been unbeaten in their last 16 series against AL East opponents, with 12 wins and four ties.
