Dean Kremer Tosses A Gem
On a day when the team needed length out of a starter, the Baltimore got exactly that from Dean Kremer (7-7). Kremer needed 93 pitches (68 strikes) to navigate 7.0 shutout innings in a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays (47-37) that prevented them from gaining ground at the top of the AL East standings. He limited the Rays to 3 hits, walked 1 and struck out 6 and really only was challenged in the first inning. Kremer’s effort allowed the bullpen to get some rest; Keegan Akin and Felix Bautista pitched the eighth and ninth ninnings, respectively.
Akin was tagged for a single and Bautista let the shutout evaporate with Brandon Lowe‘s homerun to right-center, he did, however, strike out three batters. Tampa Bay was prevented from possibly doing damage against Akin when Colton Cowser made a leaping catch at the left field wall on Danny Jansen‘s long fly ball with one on and one out.
When asked post-game if this was his best start, Kremer said it was “up there”. He felt his start in Minnesota was better.
Baltimore started the scoring in the second inning when Cowser’s single allowed Ramon Laureano, who had doubled, to cross the plate.
Three consecutive singles, a groundout to first and a sac fly plated two runs in the fifth.
In the sixth the Birds used a double, a single, a one-out single and another sac fly to plate another pair of runs.
The Orioles knocked Tampa Bay starter Taj Bradley out of the game in the sixth all the while Kremer was crusing.
Laureano and Gary Sanchez each produced a multi-hit game while Jackson Holliday was the lone starter who was held hitless. Holliday did work a lead-off walk meaning every starter on the day reached base at least once in the game.
Despite all this, the Orioles remain 12.0 games behind the division leading New York Yankees (48-35), 12 game back in the loss column, and are at this moment 6.5 games back in the Wild Card race (pending the Seattle-Texas game). No matter what, the team simply cannot gain ground; the hole they dug for themselves is just that big and it is a struggle to string some wins together.
2025 Record: 36-47
Next Game: Mon. 6/30 @ 8:05 pm vs. Rangers in Texas