A post-start conversation between Orioles right-hander David Hess and pitching coach Doug Brocail neatly summed up the challenge of balancing a need for development and the desire for competitiveness that the young staff faces.
“It sucks,” Hess told Brocail, “that I’m learning at the expense of runs being put on the board.”
The Orioles entered this weekend’s series with the Minnesota Twins with the worst staff ERA in baseball, having allowed more home runs before May 1 than any other team in major league history. The team’s pitching staff, second youngest in the American League behind the Tampa Bay Rays, attempts to put together competitive outings while learning how to, and how not to, pitch in the major leagues.