Baltimore Orioles fall again in the Bronx

Dean Kremer made his first start of the 2021 season for the Baltimore Orioles this evening at Yankee Stadium. Similar to what we saw last night, the numbers aren’t as bad as they would indicate. Kremer’s line: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 5 K.

Kremer surrendered a solo homer to Bruce in the second inning. He then loaded the bases with nobody out in the third. And he managed to pitch out of it. Pitchers will get themselves into trouble; it’s the nature of the position. Decent ones will get themselves out of it. Kremer did that.

However after Kremer departed the game in the fourth the bases were loaded again. And NY would later score on a double-play (no RBI), giving them a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning Judge would notch an RBI-single, and Stanton an RBI-double in the last of the seventh. One inning later Judge would break the game wide open with a three-run homer.

However something interesting happened in the top of the ninth. New York still had that 7-0 lead, and there were two outs. Game’s over, right?

Ryan Mountcastle appeared to reach on an infield single. New York decided to challenge the play, and the call was upheld. Now personally, I thought it was a petty challenge. Winning 7-0, two outs in the ninth…it didn’t seem like a call that needed to be challenged. But on top of that, the New York bench seemed to chirp an awful lot after the call was upheld.

Again, it all seemed petty to me. But next up was Rio Ruiz, and he smacked a two-run homer. Also the first home run of the season for the O’s.

The pettiness seemed to inspire the O’s. Ironically it probably proved New York’s point, meaning that it wasn’t necessarily petty to challenge that call. But the point remains that you should play until the final out – win or lose.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium. John Means gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Jameson Taillon. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.