Signed by the Athletics after he graduated from New York\'s George Washington High School, Portocarrero broke in with Philadelphia in 1954 after only two years of minor league experience and two years in the United States Army during the Korean War. In his first year in the majors, he was a franchise hope for the Athletics, who were in desperate shape both on the field and financially. It was hoped that the team might be good enough to improve attendance at Philadelphia\'s Connie Mack Stadium. The year before, some A\'s games had fewer than 2,000 people in the stands.\n', '

But the 1954 Athletics lost 103 games and finished last. Portocarrero posted a 9–18 record with a 4.06 earned run average; he finished second in the American League in games lost to Don Larsen of the Orioles and he led the league in wild pitches. The Athletics\' gate receipts did not improve, either. The team was sold to Arnold Johnson, a Chicago investor, and moved from Philadelphia to Kansas City. But Portocarrero struggled with arm miseries during 1955, the A\'s first season in Kansas City, and spent part of 1956 back in the minors. He returned to the Athletics in 1957 but failed to regain a regular spot in the Kansas City starting rotation. He worked in 33 games, with 17 starts, and went 4–9 (3.92).\n', '

On the eve of the 1958 campaign, Portocarrero was traded to Baltimore for left-handed pitcher Bud Daley. He responded with a career-best season, winning 15 games, fifth-most in the American League, losing 11, and finishing tenth in the league in earned run average (3.25). He threw a career-best three shutouts (including back-to-back whitewashings May 30 against Boston and June 3 against Detroit), and from June 29 through July 20 he hurled five consecutive complete game victories. It would be his only winning campaign in the major leagues.\n', '

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