What to make of the recent struggles for right-hander Zach Eflin?

He has a 6.87 ERA his last seven starts

Many around Birdland were probably thinking the same thing yesterday afternoon. How could the Orioles look so good in posting such important wins on Thursday and Friday, beating the Yankees with Max Fried on the mound, and then look so lackluster in yesterday’s 9-0 loss?

It starts with the starter.

Right-hander Zach Eflin, once a rock in the O’s rotation and a pitcher that was consistently good after they acquired him last season, is suddenly very hittable.

In nine starts after the trade last season, Eflin went 5-2 with a 2.60 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, allowing a .239 batting average and .643 OPS against.

In 11 starts this year he is 6-4 with a 5.46 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, allowing a .299 batting average and .884 OPS.

In two starts on this road trip, Eflin allowed 12 hits and seven runs over five innings at Tampa Bay. And the Orioles lost 7-1. At Yankee Stadium Saturday, he gave up 10 hits and six runs over three innings, throwing a whopping 90 pitches. The O’s lost by nine runs.

That is 22 hits on the trip and 13 runs in eight innings with a batting average against of .524 and OPS of 1.506.

It is a stunning reversal for a pitcher that was considered the O’s No. 1. He started Opening Day at Toronto.

Eflin came off the injured list on May 11, returning from a lat strain. In his first start back he gave up two runs over five innings. But in seven starts since May 18, he has an ERA of 6.87 allowing a 1.63 WHIP, 12.8 hits and 13 homers over 38 innings. That is a homer per nine rate of 3.08. He allowed three homers in three innings yesterday.

Add to Eflin’s struggles the fact that Tomo Sugano has not been as effective lately - with an ERA of 4.68 his last five starts - and suddently the O’s one-two punch at the top of the rotation is providing cause for concern.

The timing is not great with the O’s desperate to roll off wins over an extended stretch to try and get back in the AL playoff race.

In the O’s first two wins on this trip, Dean Kremer and Charlie Morton allowed one run each. In Friday’s win, Sugano gave up three and lasted just 3 2/3 innings. But the offense and bullpen bailed out the short start.

Despite the rotation concerns surfacing once again, the O’s still have a chance for a series win and winning 4-3 road trip with a victory today.

It would be huge to go 4-3 against the Rays and Yankees.

Now however, for both the immediate future and and the long-term of the full season, the O’s need to get Eflin straightened out and see if they can get Sugano to recapture his earlier form.

Eflin when he pitched in a rehab game May 4 with High-A Aberdeen