cuellar won 18 games apiece in both the and baseball seasons. in 1972, the orioles did not make it to the playoffs, finishing behind the detroit tigers, but they were back again in 1973, winning the al eastern division title. in game three of the american league championship series against the defending world series champion oakland athletics, cuellar pitched every inning of an 11-inning game, ultimately losing by a score of 2–1 to the a's.