Irvin did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing one run on three hits over three innings in a 10-3 victory over Cincinnati. He struck out three and didn't record a walk.
Irvin was replaced to start the fourth inning after a long rain delay, but he had been relatively sharp to start the game. The 29-year-old has been much better during his current big-league stint, posting a 4.05 ERA and 14:2 K:BB over his last four appearances (13.1 innings), than he was at the beginning of the season, when he gave up 15 runs over 12.2 innings. If he can continue to stack quality outings, Irvin should have a good chance of sticking in Baltimore's rotation.