MLB Team Makes Wrong Kind of Pitching History, Shatters Previous Futility Record
Last season, the Baltimore Orioles set a franchise record by losing 115 games, the most in their 118-year history.
This year, setting franchise lows just apparently isn’t enough for the Orioles — they’re breaking MLB records.
One of those occurred Tuesday night during the team’s 11-4 loss to the Yankees. The team gave up three home runs to the Bronx Bombers including their 100th of the season.
It took the Orioles just 48 games to allow 100 home runs, which smashes the previous record of 57 set by the 2000 Kansas City Royals.
The Baltimore Orioles have allowed their 100th HR of the season in their 48th game; the previous MLB “record” for quickest to allow 100 HR in a season was 57 games by the 2000 Kansas City Royals.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 22, 2019
Baltimore allowed three home runs in the game with the final one being No. 100. Clint Frazier hit two of them, including the milestone homer, and five of Frazier’s eight home runs this season have come against the O’s.
As a team the Yankees have shown why they are nicknamed the Bronx Bombers. Of the 100 home runs Baltimore has allowed, New York has 29 of them.
“We’re facing good teams, but you’ve got to pitch here,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said, according to The Associated Press. “You have to stay off the barrel and you’ve got to be able to locate. And if you don’t, in a hitter’s ballpark against guys that mash, you’re going to give up 100 homers 40-something games into it.”
O’s starting pitcher David Hess, who now sports a 6.75 ERA, also has the individual lead in most home runs allowed.
Hess has given up an MLB-high 17 long balls despite being tied for just 96th in the majors in innings pitched.
If Baltimore keeps allowing home runs at this rate, it would give up 338 on the season, which would shatter the current record of 258 set by the 2016 Cincinnati Reds.
The Orioles, who are rebuilding under new general manager Mike Elias, aren’t the only team allowing home runs at a record clip — the Seattle Mariners are the Sammy Sosa to Baltimore’s Mark McGwire.
Seattle has allowed 87 homers in 51 games and is also on pace to surpass the 2016 Reds for most homers allowed.
Overall, MLB batters are hitting home runs on 3.4 percent of their plate appearances, a 3 percent increase over last season’s rate.
The Orioles have the majors’ worst ERA at 5.74. That’s more than a half a run greater than the 5.18 ERA they posted in last season’s 115-loss disaster.
Baltimore (15-33, .313 winning percentage) has the worst record in the American League and is just incrementally better than the NL’s Miami Marlins, who have the worst record in MLB at 14-31 (.311).
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