Flaherty Should Stabilize Young Pitching Staff
Flaherty has had his ups and downs this season but is 7-6 with a 4.43 ERA and 103 strikeouts over 109.2 frames on the bump. The Cardinals’ 2014 first-round pick was 41-31 with a 3.58 ERA over 118 career starts. Flaherty missed much of the 2022 season with injuries, but he should fit right in with a rotation consisting of:
- Kyle Bradish
- Dean Kremer
- Kyle Gibson
- Grayson Rodriguez
The move became necessary when Baltimore sent Tyler Wells down to AAA. Wells got off to a good start but began tapering off due to command issues. Flaherty will take his spot in a rotation ranked 8th in the American League in team ERA.
Orioles First in American League East Standings
Baltimore has a 1.5-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays and is a +110 favorite to win the AL East. After a fast start and seemingly insurmountable lead, Tampa Bay cooled off considerably, but both clubs are riding three-game winning streaks entering Wednesday’s action.
Toronto is 7.5 games behind, Boston Red Sox are nine games back, and the New York Yankees bring up the rear at 11 games behind Baltimore.
Are the Baltimore Orioles a Good Bet to Win the American League East?
The Baltimore Orioles are a good bet to Win the American League East, +110 at DraftKings MD.
The Orioles offense has scored the fifth-most runs in the American League this season and owns the fourth-best run differential in the American League.
Gunner Henderson is a +130 favorite to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award, catcher Adley Rutschman leads the club in hits (104), Anthony Santander tops the team in home runs (19) and RBI (64), while Austin Hays leads the Orioles with a .280 batting average.
The Orioles have one of the best closers in the game in Felix Bautista. He’s already saved 29 games and hasn’t surrendered an earned run over his past 9.2 frames. The Baltimore closer does have five blown saves, but he’s as capable as there is in the AL East.
Flaherty will stabilize the starting rotation. If Wells can fix his control issues, this rotation could be one of the best in the American League and certainly good enough to win the American League East.
Finally, while Tampa Bay has been playing better baseball, Baltimore enters the final two months of the season with a 23-13 record against their AL East rivals, and it will be these foes who Baltimore will see the most down the stretch and +110 for Baltimore to win the AL East is a good bet to make.
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