With the Baltimore Orioles, Craig Kimbrel’s tenure has come to an end. Following yet another rough outing, the Orioles designated their former closer for assignment on Wednesday.
In barely two-thirds of an inning, Kimbrel gave up six runs on three hits in Baltimore’s 10-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night. He has a 13.94 ERA in his last 11 outings during the last month.
Nine-time All-Star pitcher Kimbrel has thrown in 837 games and recorded an astounding 440 saves. But in his first season with Baltimore, this one has seen him blow six saves and with a 5.33 ERA.
On July 7, he made his final save of his 23 Orioles appearances. After that, and after a string of poor performances, Kimbrel made a concerted effort to regain the form that had enabled him to open 2010 with Atlanta and pitch successfully out of the bullpen.
He was sadly unable to restore that form.
“Hard day,” Brandon Hyde, the manager, said. “We hold Craig and his career in the highest regard. Saying goodbye to someone who has accomplished a lot is never easy.
