Dean Kremer was pushed up a day to make the start this evening for the Baltimore Orioles. This in place of Jack Flaherty, who was scratched. Luckily for the Birds, Kremer was up for the task – and he pitched to a quality start. Kremer’s line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K.
The O’s made some noise in this game early, but not necessarily in a good way. They left the bases loaded in the second, which in a sense is playing with fire when you’re in a pennant race. But they came back from that – and then some.
Ryan Mountcastle got back on Toronto’s bad side with an RBI-single in the last of the third. The Birds held that lead up for two innings, when Anthony Santander smacked a solo home run. And while the flood gates didn’t open in earnest for another couple of innings, that certainly foreshadowed what was to come.
It was Santander who began the Orioles’ final push. This with a second solo homer onto the flag court in the last of the eighth. Later in the inning the O’s had two on and an additional run scored on a throwing error. That’s why I always say that getting runners on is a big deal. Things happen when guys are on the base paths. All it takes is an error somewhere, and suddenly you’re in a place to score.
Cedric Mullins would add a sac fly, and Adley Rutschman’s two-RBI single would close out the scoring in the Orioles’ 7-0 win. This also marks the 70th consecutive series where the O’s haven’t been swept. A trend that’s starting to take on a life of it’s own.
The series concludes tomorrow evening at Camden Yards. The Birds are yet to announce a starter, but whomever he is, he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Jose Berrios. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.
Birdland Crush 