For the past six seasons, the Orioles' bullpen has been a team strength. Here are five things to know about the team's relievers in 2017.
1. The bullpen wasn't quite as good in 2017 as it has been in the past.
In 2017, Orioles relievers had a 3.93 ERA. That was their highest since 2011, when they had a 4.18 ERA.
The bullpen was asked to pitch more because of the starters' ineffectiveness. In 2017, relievers accounted for 595 innings, just less than four innings a game. The year before, they were asked to pitch 546, and their ERA was more than a half-run better at 3.40.
