This story was excerpted from Anne Rogers’ Royals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

KANSAS CITY -- Since 1988, when pitch counts started being tracked, only three pitchers have started and earned the win with fewer than 44 pitches.

Sid Fernandez in 1993, with 42 pitches.

Greg Maddux in 2003, with 43 pitches.

And Zack Greinke, in 2023, with 44 pitches.

Greinke was as efficient as he could be in the Royals’ 6-0 win over the Orioles on Wednesday. He became the first pitcher to complete a start of at least five innings on 44 pitches or fewer since Maddux did it with the Braves on Sept. 21, 2003, against the Marlins.

This doesn’t happen all that often, of course, because when a pitcher cruises through five innings like Greinke did Wednesday, with just three hits allowed, a manager typically sticks with the starter. And a reduced pitch count wasn’t necessarily the thought entering the game; Greinke is fully built up and said he feels healthy.

So what goes into that move?

As the game unfolded, Royals manager Matt Quatraro considered several factors.

“Multiple reasons,” Quatraro said. “What we had in the bullpen available tonight. We felt good about how we matched up the rest of the game, as well as being in the middle of a 16-game stretch and trying to manage innings.

“[Greinke] understands where he is, where we are. He’s more aware of the schedule and the long-term implications for how he feels and what that means for the course of the season than we are.”

Greinke would have been facing the Orioles lineup for the third time if he went out for the sixth. In the six starts before Wednesday, batters were slashing .296/.296/.704 the third time through against Greinke. Opposing lineups slashed .316/.333/.447 against him the third time through last season.

Greinke told Quatraro he could continue, but the manager made the call to turn the game over to the bullpen in what was then a one-run game.

The script worked out well; four relievers combined for four scoreless innings in the Royals’ first shutout of the year. Quatraro turned to Taylor Clarke for the sixth, then Aroldis Chapman for the seventh against the middle of the Orioles’ lineup. Lefty Amir Garrett had the eighth, and Josh Staumont secured the shutout in the ninth.

“Just try to win games,” Greinke said. “Bullpen’s been pitching great. Starters haven’t been doing as good. Just got to pitch better if you want to pitch more.”

Greinke pitched better than he has this season on Wednesday night. He earned his first win of 2023 and continued his success at Kauffman Stadium; Greinke has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 20 of his last 23 starts at The K.

On Wednesday, he relied on his fastball more than half the time, commanding it well and relying less on his curveball than he has all season.

“I’ve been getting beat on the offspeed lately,” Greinke said. “So tried to command the fastball good. I thought I threw it pretty good where I wanted to. That was kind of the thought.”

Regardless of the decision to pull Greinke early, he maximized those 44 pitches. And five good innings is exactly what the Royals signed the 39-year-old to do in his 20th Major League season.

“Back in the day of the Diamondbacks and Dodgers -- I didn't see him in his Kansas City years -- he was so good,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “It was fun to watch him, except being on the other side. But fun to watch him and how the guy just knows how to pitch. I mean, 20 years in the big leagues. Hall of Fame career. He's done a lot of things right for 20 years. He's a player this game should celebrate, because it's really cool, the career he's had."