Orioles Avoid Some Wonky Team History During Roller Coaster Start To Season

The Baltimore Orioles avoided some interesting but unwanted team history with the start they are off to this season.

Aug 14, 2023; San Diego, California, USA; Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Felix Bautista (74) prepares to pitch against the San Diego Padres during the ninth inning at Petco Park. | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

Coming into the 2025 MLB regular season, the Baltimore Orioles were viewed as one of the best teams in the league.

Despite some concerns with the starting rotation, many believed they had the hitting capabilities to overcome their woes on the mound.

Unfortunately, through 13 games, they have yet to put anything together consistently.

The team was 5-8 entering Saturday, and there are already some concerning trends building.

Players on the team haven’t lost confidence, but it is certainly not the kind of start anyone was hoping for or expecting.

Injuries have played a part in that.

The starting rotation, which was a massive question mark coming in, lost Opening Day starter Zach Eflin to the injured list along with Albert Suarez. They joined Grayson Rodriguez, Trevor Rogers, Chayce McDermott, Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells on the sidelines while Kyle Gibson continues ramping up and stretching out in the minor leagues.

That, mixed with inconsistencies at the plate that plagued the team down the stretch of the 2024 campaign, has led to an unenjoyable roller-coaster ride out of the gate for the team.

It is also putting the Orioles in line to potentially make some interesting franchise history.

As shared by Jake Rill of MLB.com, this year’s team had yet to have a single save opportunity through 13 games. They were the second team to accomplish that in the history of the franchise since 1954.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 2025 #Orioles are only the 2nd club in team history (since 1954) to have 0 save opportunities over their 1st 13 games of a season.

The 1988 O’s had 0 save opportunities during their 0-21 start. They got a save in their 22nd game.

— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) April 12, 2025

The only team that had a longer non-save opportunity streak to start a season was in 1988.

They started 0-21 and didn’t have a save opportunity until Game 22, which was also their first victory of the year when it was converted.

It's unfortunate this 2025 team hasn't made the most of their bullpen since it is arguably the strongest part of their roster right now.

Cionel Perez and Colin Selby haven’t been good, with ERAs of 16.20 and 18.00, but everyone else has been excellent. 

Those two have been charged with 11 runs, all earned, through their first six innings of work. The rest of the bullpen has surrendered seven runs, six earned, in 39.2 combined innings.

Seranthony Dominguez, Bryan Baker, Gregory Soto and Yennier Cano had yet to surrender runs in 2025. (Baker was scored against for the first time Saturday afternoon.)

The bullpen isn’t even close to full strength either, as Felix Bautista is still knocking off rust after getting hurt in August 2023 and having to undergo Tommy John surgery. Their big free agent addition, Andrew Kittredge, is also sidelined after having knee surgery in spring training.

But on Saturday, when facing off against the Toronto Blue Jays in their 14th game of the season, the streak was finally snapped.

Bautista pitched a scoreless ninth inning, securing the team's first save of the year to avoid making the odd history.

It was a great win for Baltimore, since they gave up runs in the first, second and third innings, falling into an early hole before scoring five in the fifth and sixth frames to take the lead.

That ended up being enough to hold on in a 5-4 victory.