Brandon Erbe is coming off his worst back-to-back starts in his young career with the Orioles.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound righty recorded just two outs during his May 11th start at Myrtle Beach. He issued three walks on his way to exceeding the organization’s minor league single-inning pitch limit of 30. Erbe took the mound again last Wednesday (May 16th) and gave up 12 runs on 11 hits in three innings.

“He was just trying to throw too hard…just overdoing it and his ball straightened out a little bit,” Orioles’ farm director David Stockstill said. “But there weren’t any mechanical or physical problems. He’s just fine.

“He’s young and he’s going to have moments when he tries to hard and tries to strike everybody out. And that’s just part of the learning process for a youngster. But he’s pitched very, very well and the last two times I think he wanted to pitch even better and he didn’t quite stay within himself.”

Erbe has had similar struggles in the past. Following back-to-back two-hit outings last July, the 2005 third rounder had a game where he gave up five hits, issued three walks, and allowed seven earned runs without recording an out.

“We’re telling him to relax, just pitch your baseball game, don’t try to strike everybody out, and don’t try to throw harder than what you can throw,” Stockstill said.

Erbe’s ERA is up to 5.35 and he has struck out 28 batters versus 20 walks in 39 innings. He has allowed just one earned run in five of his eight starts.