The Baltimore Orioles trade for Zach Eflin is looking like the steal of the MLB trade deadline. He pitched seven shutout innings against his former team, the Tampa Bay Rays, in an August 9 win.
Eflin called pitching against his former team “an out-of-body experience” when talking with reporters after the win.
“It was kind of like an out-of-body experience,” Eflin told reporters postgame. “Being with these guys — what was it, like, 15 days ago? — being in that clubhouse and then showing up and seeing all the workers I was friends with, seeing some of the guys on the team and the staff. I have so much respect for that clubhouse and everybody that works for this organization, so it was really cool to step on that mound again and be able to face them on the other side.”
Eflin pitched seven innings, threw seven strikeouts, and allowed zero runs in his first matchup with the Rays. He’s won his first three starts with the Orioles, joining Kyle Gibson (2023) and Jack Harshman (1958) as the only to ever do so in franchise history.
“Every win feels as good as the last one that I had, so I don’t really focus on stuff like that,” Eflin continued. “It’s a cool stat, but I try to go out there and be competitive every single game and try and do my best and staying in as long as possible.”
Baltimore is 69-48 with a half-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East.
Brandon Hyde On Zach Eflin: ‘Textbook Pitching’
Orioles skipper Brandon Hyde praised Eflin’s performance against the Rays, calling his outing “textbook.”
“A little extra motivation pitching against a team that you were just with, and he’s made three outstanding starts for us,” Hyde told reporters, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. “That was textbook pitching. He was ahead in the count, great sinker-cutter, changeup. He just really knows how to pitch and he was locating well all night.”
Eflin threw 61 strikes on 94 pitches, and allowed only four hits in seven innings. His ERA lowered from 4.05 to 3.83 on the year.
James McCann, who caught for Eflin against Tampa Bay, echoed Hyde’s sentiments. He told reporters that the 30-year-old is an “old school pitcher” who is fun to catch.
“He’s one of those, I say old school pitchers, in the sense that he’s pitching to both sides of the plate with all of his pitches,” McCann told reporters on August 9. “He’s pitching, he’s not gripping and ripping as hard as he can. And he has a really good idea of what he’s trying to do and he makes adjustments quickly. It’s a lot of fun to catch guys like that.”
So far, so good for Eflin’s tenure in Baltimore.
Baltimore Waiting On Update For Grayson Rodriguez
Another starting pitcher for the Orioles has suffered a setback. Grayson Rodriguez was scratched at the last minute from his August 6 start against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Baltimore’s number two starter was diagnosed with right lat/teres discomfort.
Hyde told reporters that General Manager Mike Elias will provide an update on Rodriguez on August 10.
After losing Kyle Bradish, John Means, and Tyler Wells to season-ending injuries, another starting pitcher injury could threaten to derail the Orioles’ season. Rodriguez’s absence will test Baltimore’s durability once again.
Baltimore’s number two starter is 13-4 this season. Rodriguez has pitched 116.2, thrown 130 strikeouts, and has a 3.86 ERA.
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