Wednesday night Orioles game thread: vs. Red Sox, 7:08

With the Orioles scoring just barely three runs per game for the month of September, how is anybody supposed to know the difference between a lineup where they’re not particularly trying to win and a lineup where they’re trying their best and they’re just bad?

I ask that question because, on a night where Wade Miley is starting for the Orioles and Chris Sale is starting for the Red Sox, it’s easy to start to wonder if “not really trying to win” is getting a bit more consideration.

Actually, since the start of August, Sale has had what are, for him, struggles. He has a 4.25 ERA over his last nine starts, although even then he’s struck out 76 batters in 53 innings. That’s, uh... kind of absurd.

Sale has a sub-1.00 WHIP for the season. Miley no longer has the worst WHIP among qualified starters, but that’s only because he’s sucked so much this year that he hasn’t pitched enough innings (one per team game) to qualify. Miley has 149 innings. The Orioles have played 152 games.

If Miley pitches at least four innings tonight, he will again qualify - and with what’s currently a 1.698 WHIP, will resume his place as the worst MLB starter by WHIP. Second place (the current leader) is Martin Perez of the Rangers, with a 1.532 WHIP. It’s not even close. Miley is leaps and bounds worse than everyone.