Kimbrel has saved 23 games for the O's heading into August:
GDW Analysis:
BALTIMORE: In his first season with the Baltimore Orioles, Craig Kimbrel has given the ball club a good showing in his role as their closer.
Kimbrel has saved 23 games out of 29 opportunities. The Orioles go into the first full week of the August schedule tied for the lead in the American League East with the New York Yankees.
The Orioles continue a road tour with the first of three games Tuesday at Toronto.
The former Wallace State Lion is tied for 5th in MLB in converting saves.
Kimbrel is working through a slump. The right hander has not had a save since July 25. Over the weekend, Kimbrel worked a couple of innings in two games at Cleveland, compiling 2 walks and 4 strikeouts.
His ERA is 3.29 with 60 strikeouts in 41 innings of work.
Kimbrel has 6 wins out of 9 decisions to go with his 23 saves.
He is 4th in allowing the lowest number of home runs as a reliever, 4.
The Orioles are the 3rd different team Kimbrel has been with in the last three years. He has shown consistency in averaging 23 saves per season.
Kimbrel, 4th all time in saves, has endured 68 since 2022. His struggle at times has him with 16 blown saves.
His strikeout vs. walk ratio in this span is 256 Ks and 78 walks.
Kimbrel is 36, in his 15th season in the majors. He started with the Atlanta Braves after his Wallace State career and began his journey of becoming solid in getting called from the bullpen.
Kimbrel has pitched well when the Orioles have been away from Camden Yards.
After three games in Toronto, the Orioles will move on to a weekend series at Tampa Bay.
It looks to be a fight to the finish for the AL East title. The Orioles and Yankees are 67 & 46 with the Boston Red Sox 6 games behind at 60 & 51 and Tampa 57 & 54 entering Tuesday's schedule.
Baltimore got 101 wins last season.
Kimbrel is known for coming through in clutch moments to get his team into the postseason.
That's a reason why the Orioles signed him as a free agent prior to the start of the 2024 season.
Photo of Baltimore Orioles' relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel.
Photo courtesy of the Associated Press.
