Revelation: Decent Pitching Correlated With Success!

Thursday's 5-1 victory over Detroit on Wieters Eve not only marked ZAUN's last game as an everyday starter, for which we at DCLS shed a bittersweet tear, it completed the Orioles' most successful week-long stretch of the season.

Over the past week the Orioles have gone 6-1, outscoring their opponents 39-25 in the process. This after being outscored 49-26 in the prior seven games (2-5). Orioles' hitters certainly stepped it up these last seven games. However, the pitching staff was able to cut their ERA nearly in half, with two rookies making their Major League debuts no less.

The Orioles are only four games under .500 for the first time since April 29, and while this wouldn't be a notable feat for any competitive franchise that hasn't undergone 11 years of miserable ball-pinching suckdom since the Antichrist, for us it is. So we note it.

The O's finished 13th out of 14 teams in the AL in team ERA in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Can you guess where they stand so far this year?

But if they can get pitching like they did this past week consistently from both their starters and bullpen, which was almost inconceivable a few weeks ago, they might be able to hover around .500 all year. I know - I'm so greedy.

Baby steps!