Steve Davis: Keys For Orioles in Game 3
The Orioles have yet to hold a lead in this series. They keep falling behind early in games.
Chen gets the ball in Game 3. It's time for a starting pitcher to give a lights out performance.
In 5 playoff games, the only one to do that was Bud Norris in the 3rd game in Detroit. He went 6 1/3 and pitched shutout ball. In the other 4 games, no one has pitched more than 5 innings.
Tillman went 5 in one and gave up 2 runs and 4 1/3 in the other, getting tagged for 5 runs.
Norris went 4 1/3 and gave up 4 runs in the most recent game.
Chen got roughed up for 5 runs in 3 2/3 in Game 2 of the ALDS.
So basically, outside of the one game that Norris threw well, the starters have given up 16 runs in 17 1/3 innings. That is awful, almost an ERA of 9 for the rotation. Juxtapose that vs. how they did since the All-Star break, when the rotation starters had an ERA of about 2.4.
The Orioles need a big start out of Chen and then Gonzales. It will be hard to know what to expect of Gonzales. He hasn't pitched September 28, and as well as he pitched in his last 8 starts, which was great, that is a long time without pitching, and it could be tough for him to find any kind of rhythm.
The other thing, obviously, is, if they get a lead, they need more than Miller to pitch well out of the bullpen. Britton has now had 3 consecutive less than stellar outings in the playoffs.
It would be nice for them to rediscover their power. The Orioles led the league in homers this year and KC was last; so far, the Orioles have one homer and the Royals have 4.
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