This season may have started out shaky for Orioles ace
It had been almost 19 years since an Oriole struck out six consecutive hitters, since John Wasdin on Sept. 30, 2001, before Keegan Akin accomplished the feat on Wednesday against the Braves. It only took four days for Means to match it and go a step further, tying the club record of seven straight held by Sammy Stewart since Sept. 1, 1978. Means also became the first Oriole to strike out at least 12 in a game since Dylan Bundy on May 24, 2018, and the first to do so without walking a batter since Erik Bedard on July 7, 2007.\n\nBedard punched out 15 Rangers that day to claim a share of the O’s single-game record with Mike Mussina.\n\n“I think I got away from myself in August, so to get back to pitching like myself is a good sign,” said Means, who lowered his ERA from 8.59 to 5.02 over his last four starts. “I just had the fastball going today -- my good fastball -- and it was riding pretty well.”\n\nThe key Sunday was that pitch, which Means struggled to find consistency with despite increased velocity for much of his disjointed 2020 season. He deployed it with precision on Sunday, throwing 47 of 65 heaters for strikes and getting nine of 12 third strikes on his fastball. One other came via the slider and two on his new, improving curve, including one he used to win a 13-pitch battle with Kevan Smith in the fourth.
“I think earlier in the year I would’ve gotten frustrated with myself over that, but being in the mindset I’m in now, I am able to keep on going, keep flowing,” Means said. “I was pitching angry when I couldn’t locate as well as I would hope, and that’s just not me. I can’t pitch like that. I’ve been staying more relaxed.”\n\nMeans’ nine strikeouts on four-seamers were the most by an O’s pitcher since Chris Tillman had nine on Aug. 9, 2013. The only Baltimore pitcher with more in a game since the start of pitch tracking in 2008 was Wei-Yin Chen, who compiled 11 on July 29, 2012.