While right-handed reliever Mychal Givens has converted save opportunities in each of the Oriolesā past three wins ā including an eight-pitch ninth inning in Tuesday nightās 6-3 victory over the New York Mets ā Givens, suddenly the clubās most experienced reliever, is still in the process of earning the trust of manager Buck Showalter.
The departures of late-inning arms Zach Britton, Brad Brach and Darren OāDay at last monthās nonwaiver trade deadline ā and the influx of newly acquired young arms that followed ā leaves virtually every bullpen role up for grabs.
Even in the past few weeks, roles have evolved. Givens has pitched everywhere from the seventh inning to the ninth. Right-hander Mike Wright Jr. has earned more high-leverage relief opportunities. Left-hander Paul Fry is beginning to pitch late in games, taking some late-inning opportunities from rookie left-hander Tanner Scott. All in all, the bullpen is still very much in flux.
Givens has long been perceived as the teamās closer in waiting, and his mid-90s fastball along with a mid-80s slider and changeup give him the arsenal to be effective in the role.
Late-inning leads ā and the save opportunities that come with them ā have been few and far between all season. With the Orioles struggling, Givensā year has been inconsistent. Heās allowed more runners, as indicated by a career-high 1.407 WHIP, and thatās led to a 4.73 ERA. But a lower hard-contact rate (29.4 percent in 2018 versus 32.0 last year) and a 2.87 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) indicates heās also been unlucky converting batted balls into outs.
In Tuesdayās win, Givens took control in what became a chaotic ninth inning. Right-hander Miguel Castro allowed a leadoff triple by Brandon Nimmo and an RBI infield single by Todd Frazier, who landed on second after Castroās throwing error. Givens entered the game and aggressively pounded the strike zone, striking out Austin Jackson on three pitches, getting a weak popout from JosĆ© Bautista and inducing a groundout to shortstop to end the inning.
āI wasnāt even thinking of it like it was a closing situation,ā Givens said. āObviously, I knew, but I wasnāt thinking of it with the mindset of it being a closer situation. Itās just the mindset Iāve been doing from the get-go when you get called up to the big leagues. Itās like what Darren said, it doesnāt matter what kind of season you have, but being a bullpen guy is about taking care of limiting damage and being able to take care of inherited runners. So I just went out there knowing that Castro got in trouble, and I was just trying to have that shut-down mentality.ā
But those are the kind of ninth-inning outings, when a reliever brings calm to a game, that Showalter wants to see from Givens as he auditions for more closing opportunities.
āThatās part of the equation,ā Showalter said. āI also try to keep in mind that heās sitting there with the right-handed hitters in the bottom of the order. You try to keep everything into play, but what do you want him to do, not do well? I think Mikeās concentration level came in. That job, you canāt assume anything. You canāt coast, not that Mike does. Itās just that thatās a role you have to have a lot of trust in.ā
Showalter wants to see consistency. Givensā outing Tuesday was a sharp contrast to his previous one, when he entered in the eighth inning with a two-run deficit against the Boston Red Sox and retired the side on 15 pitches before running into trouble in the ninth. Givens allowed a leadoff single to Eduardo Núñez on a ground ball up the middle, Núñez stole second base and Givens yielded back-to-back two-out run-scoring hits. Givens has allowed a .407 on-base percentage to the first batter of the inning this season.
āItās been a rough year for everybody,ā Givens said. āIt [stinks] because when I look at it, itās a little seeing-eye single thatās a base hit. You canāt do anything about a bloop single. We havenāt had the best luck this season, and with the trades weāve had, I think in the second half weāve actually played really good baseball. I know that we had a rough weekend against the Red Sox, but we gave them a pretty good fight knowing that this is the group of guys we have going forward. Thereās a bright future of a lot of guys.ā
Those were two very different situations ā being counted on for a multiple-inning outing while trailing compared with sealing a three-run lead in the ninth ā and while Givens is used to being used in different situations since he joined the Orioles bullpen in 2015, he said it can be a challenge.
āItās tough when you donāt know what to expect,ā Givens said. āWhen youāre first coming up, you obviously donāt know, but at the same time, there is a benefit of knowing because you can get prepared a little better and get in the right mindset. At the same time, you still are trying to go out there with the mindset of trying to get back in the dugout. I think thatās the most important thing, not letting your offense stand around in the field. Get them back into the dugout, allow them to relax and let them swing the bat.ā
But if thereās one thing Givens learned from veterans such as OāDay, Brach and Britton, who each pitched in different roles before finding more defined responsibilities, itās that getting outs in the ninth inning isnāt more important than in the fifth or sixth.
āJust go out there and keep a mindset, like Darren, Brad, [former Oriole and current Cleveland Indian] Andrew Miller, it doesnāt matter whether youāre a closer of a fifth-inning guy,ā Givens said. āYou go out there and try to get three outs and then get back into the dugout. You try to limit the damage or try to get ahead of a guy to make him uncomfortable and make him feel like heās on defense and make pitches.ā
Keeping that mentality will help Givens make that adjustment, treating save opportunities calmly and effectively.
āActually, in a lot of ways, other than the finality and the pressure of it, itās actually easier to pitch than the innings Mike has been pitching because he knows when he might pitch, if that role continues,ā Showalter said. āSo there are some good things about it, too. It also pays a little better I think. I donāt think Mike looks at it like that. He doesnāt. Iāve talked to him.
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ā[Bullpen coach] Alan [Mills] knows him about as well as anybody. He doesnāt march that drummer. Heās like, āWhenever you need me to pitch, thatās fine.ā I donāt think he gets too involved in the trappings of the game. But Iāve been impressed with his concentration and the first-pitch intensity that you need in that role.ā