Baltimore Orioles new starting pitcher Jack Flaherty, who was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals prior to the MLB trade deadline, recently made his first start at Camden Yards as a member of his new team. Flaherty pitched fairly well, allowing three earned runs across five innings against the Houston Astros while striking out eight hitters. After the game, however, the right-hander threw subtle shade at his old ball club, via Orioles on MASN.

“Energy was great,” Flaherty responded when asked about pitching at Camden Yards for the first time. “I mean, I haven't had to turn my pitch-com up while pitching at home in a while. It was good energy. Kind of feed off it.”

Jack Flaherty's comments will surely receive backlash from Cardinals fans. First off, the St. Louis faithful will simply not like the statement. Additionally, though, the Cardinals usually tend to rank within the top half of the league in attendance.

Perhaps Flaherty isn't drawing attention to a lack of fans, rather, he may be stating that since the Cardinals have struggled in 2023 the energy hasn't been quite as noticeable at Busch Stadium. Meanwhile, the Orioles are playing well so the fans are excited and passionate right now.

The Orioles are counting on Jack Flaherty to lead the rotation. He hasn't been dominant in 2023 by any means, but Flaherty is a starting pitcher with experience in the big leagues. He's dealt with injuries over the past couple of seasons but will help Baltimore nonetheless, especially given their lack of starting pitching depth and experience.