The All-Star break gave us Trey Mancini in the home run derby and Cedric Mullins starting in center field. It provided Baltimore something it did not have since April— a fresh bullpen.
One game into the second half and the Orioles bullpen is already shouldering the workload.
Keegan Akin lasted just three innings and Baltimore took its all-too familiar place in the loss column Friday night. Kansas city tagged Akin for six runs and defeated the Orioles 9-2 in the first of a three-game set.
Whit Merrifield jumped on Akin right away with a single up the middle.