The Baltimore Orioles saw a streak of 106 series without a sweep come to an end Wednesday and left the loss with concerns about starting pitcher John Means.
The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Orioles 5-4 at Busch Stadium. The victory secured a three-game sweep for St. Louis after 6-3 and 3-1 wins over Baltimore on Monday and Tuesday. The sweep marked the first of the season for a struggling Cardinals team that improved to 23-26 with the victory.
It also ended a remarkable streak for the Orioles, who had not been swept in 106 consecutive regular-season series, a streak that dated back to May 13-15, 2022, when they were swept by the Detroit Tigers. The streak of 106 series without a sweep is the longest in American League history and tied for the second-longest in MLB history with the 1903-05 New York Giants.
By sweeping the Orioles, the Cardinals protected the franchise’s own MLB record. St. Louis went 125 consecutive regular-season series without being swept between 1942 and 1944. Those Cardinals won World Series titles in 1942 and 1944.
Baltimore fell to 29-18 with the loss, 2.5 games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the American League East. His most immediate concern is Media’s health.
Means for undergoing tests after elbow pain.
Medios lasted just three innings and left the game with elbow discomfort. He experienced a notable drop in velocity and gave up his first two walks of the season despite the truncated start. Manager Brandon Hyde told reporters after the game that Means was scheduled to undergo tests to determine the severity of a possible injury.
“That was disappointing,” Hyde said, according to the Baltimore Sun. “I realized something wasn’t right and I was trying to fix it. But she felt some pain in her elbow and we hoped for the best.”
The midfielders allowed only one hit and no runs in their outing. He did not return for the fourth inning due to a rain delay. Hyde said the delay did not affect the decision; he was throwing it anyway. Means had gone to the clubhouse with pitching coach Drew French before the delay.
The Sun’s Matt Weyrich noted that Means’ velocity dropped Wednesday on all of his pitches.
John Means’ velocity slowed across the board during his first three innings tonight. The MASN broadcast showed the left-hander shaking his arm and retreating to the clubhouse with pitching coach Drew French before the delay. Albert Suárez was also up in the bullpen. pic.twitter.com/q8weODQ2Er
– Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) May 22, 2024
Means, 31, was an Orioles All-Star in 2019. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 and has pitched in just eight games since then. He returned at the end of the 2023 season to pitch four games. He was left off the team’s playoff roster with elbow soreness and didn’t make his first start this season until May 4.
He’s off to a sensational start for the World Series-contending Orioles since his return. In four starts this season, including Wednesday, Means has a 2.61 ERA and 0.87 WHIP with 16 strikeouts and two walks. Now he and the Orioles await the results of his tests.