When things are going badly — as they have been for the Orioles in the first month of the season — every aspect of the team is affected. And for late-inning relievers trying to establish a rhythm, losing means fewer leads to hold and an irregular workload.
Even without closer Zach Britton, who is out until June 1 at the earliest recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, the back end of the bullpen is expected to be one of the Orioles’ strengths, but typically dependable late-inning relievers Brad Brach, Darren O’Day and Mychal Givens all have struggled as the Orioles have sputtered to a 6-16 start heading into Monday night.