Former Orioles closer Zack Britton reveals what the team needs to get back on track

The Baltimore Orioles came into the 2025 season with some hype, but it quickly died down. Last Saturday, they fired their manager, Brandon Hyde, after starting the season 15-28.

Tony Mansolino, the club's third-base coach, will serve as the interim manager moving forward. Since he has taken over, not much has changed, and the team is currently 1-5 with their new skipper.

There is not much to write home about when it comes to the Orioles. However, not all hope is lost. Former Baltimore closer Zack Britton still believes in them and details how they could turn things around.

"To me, it all starts with the pitching, kind of always does. Offense is good enough. They'll score enough runs to win for you. I just think the pitching needs to get a little bit on track. I think they'll be okay," said Britton.

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The former two-time MLB All-Star reveals that it all starts with the pitching staff. Baltimore sits in dead last place with their 5.75 team ERA. They have also given up the third-most runs, trailing just the Athletics and Colorado Rockies.

"They're capable of being a playoff contender with the team that they have now. It's just a matter of getting the performance you expect out of guys" he added.

Britton fully believes in the talent the team has and went as far as to say that they are a playoff-contending team. However, some players must step it up for that to happen.

Orioles turn to position player to pitch final inning in blowout loss to Red Sox

Baltimore Orioles - Emmanuel Rivera (Photo via IMAGN)

The Orioles were set to take on the Boston Red Sox on Thursday. Inclement weather pushed that game to Friday, and it is one that the Baltimore faithful would like to forget.

After scoring two runs in the third inning, the wheels stopped turning. They let up a run in the fourth inning, and then five in the sixth inning. Cionel Perez then had a rough eighth inning, letting up five runs on four hits.

With the game out of reach, Baltimore then turned to third baseman Emmanuel Rivera to take the ball on the mound. He proceeded to let up eight runs on eight hits, making for a 13-run inning.

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Baltimore would go on to lose the game by a score of 19-5. The loss dropped them to 16-33 on the season, sitting dead last in the American League East division.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom