BALTIMORE — In the aftermath of Félix Bautista’s heroics a day earlier, when the new Orioles closer worked a five-out save, manager Brandon Hyde admitted the bullpen is undergoing a feeling-out period. That’s what happens when All-Star Jorge López, the previous closer, is shipped off at the trade deadline, leaving one of baseball’s best groups left to reshuffle.
It has led to heavier workloads for many of the same pitchers, and it has elevated the roles for relievers who weren’t frequent contributors in close games.
“We were so good the first half that it’s hard to be perfect for six months,” Hyde said Tuesday. “We’re going to continue to throw them out there and try to find the right combination to close games.”
