Dean Kremer came off the IL and made the start last night in Seattle for the Baltimore Orioles. Kremer had struggled through several rehab starts, so what we were going to see last night was never a guarantee. While he only stuck around for the necessary five innings to get the win, Kremer knocked it out of the park. Kremer’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K.
First off, Kremer’s return gives the Orioles a shot in the arm. Keep in mind, Kremer went on the IL at circa the same moment three different Oriole pitchers were getting Tommy John’s. So now his return is almost akin to having made a trade. That isn’t to say that there’s no need to further solidify their pitching, because that isn’t the case. But Kremer coming back makes the road a bit easier.
Ryan O’Hearn’s two-RBI double in the third inning gave the O’s a 2-0 lead. O’Hearn would later score on an RBI-single by Ryan Mountcastle. And I think that’s a huge recipe for success right there – doubles driving in runs, that is. You score (in this case twice), and you leave a runner in scoring position.
O’Hearn came back to bat in the fifth, and smacked a solo homer. On a night where Dean Kremer was the story, Ryan O’Hearn made a huge case as well. After Kremer’s departure, Seattle did get on the board with a solo homer by Raleigh.
However another story in this game is that aside from that home run, the bullpen was solid last night. That was the lone hit that the bullpen surrendered. The Birds have gotten outstanding pitching thus far in this series.
The series concludes this afternoon at T Mobile Park. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Seattle’s Bryce Miller. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.
Birdland Crush 