Baltimore Orioles News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Albert Suarez (4) Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Orioles pitcher wins game for first time in nearly eight years

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 4/23/24

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Albert Suarez made all kinds of history on Monday night during his team's 4-2 victory against the Los Angeles Angels.

Albert Suárez won an MLB game for the first time since 6/23/16, good for a span of 2,860 days.

He joins Travis Blackley as the only pitchers in the last 70 years to go that many days between wins, with both coming as a SP, according to @EliasSports.

(H/T @ColeJacobson32)
— Brent Maguire (@bmags94) April 23, 2024

Since 1893 (when the mound moved to its current distance), no pitcher had an outing of 5+ IP and no runs allowed in each of his first 2 appearances after not appearing in the Majors for 5+ years …

Until Albert Suárez did so this year for the Orioles.

(H/T @EliasSports)
— Brent Maguire (@bmags94) April 23, 2024

Pitchers to allow 0 runs in 11.1+ IP over their 1st 2 outings for the #Orioles:
Albert Suárez (11.1 IP, 2024)
Mike Wright Jr. (14.1 IP, 2015)
Dave Ford (15 IP, 1978)
Tom Phoebus (18 IP, 1966)

More after Suárez's 2nd stellar outing from @bmags94: https://t.co/nqvidFyfCa
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) April 23, 2024

The right-hander is only part of the Orioles' rotation due to a host of injuries to other hurlers.

Former ace and one-time All-Star John Means is still on a minor-league rehab assignment, recovering from an elbow injury, and has yet to pitch with Baltimore this season. Kyle Bradish is also on the injured list with an elbow issue and is rehabbing in the minors.

Tyler Wells made three starts to begin the season but was recently put on the IL with right elbow inflammation, and his timetable for return is uncertain.

With Bradish and/or Means due back soon, Suarez could be bumped from the starting five through no fault of his own.

The Venezuelan signed with the Tampa Bay Rays organization in July 2006 as an international free agent at 16 years old. Suarez spent seven years in the Rays' minor-league system, reaching as high as Double-A, before signing a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles then-of-Anaheim in November 2014.

He played with the Angels' Double-A affiliate for one year before signing a minor-league deal with the San Francisco Giants in November 2015. Suarez opened 2016 in Triple-A but finally made his MLB debut in the Bay Area on May 8, 2016.

The 34-year-old went 3-5 with a 4.29 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 54 strikeouts over 84 innings covering 22 games (12 starts) in 2016 with the Giants. Suarez struggled in 2017 to the tune of a 0-3 mark with a 5.12 ERA in 31 2/3 innings pitched covering 18 relief appearances.

He was chosen by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Rule 5 draft in December 2017 and spent 2018 pitching with the Triple-A Reno Aces.

Suarez pitched with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league from 2019-2021 and the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) from 2021-23 before signing a minor-league contract with the O's in September.

The older brother of San Diego Padres closer Robert Suarez began 2024 with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides before being promoted to Baltimore on April 17.

His last victory before his win against the Angels was so long ago that no member of either team's starting lineup in 2016 is still active in the majors.

More must-reads: