Dean Kremer turned in perhaps his best start of the season for the Baltimore Orioles tonight. Maybe that’s slightly hollow given how early it is. But Kremer did what he was supposed to do – he put the Birds in a spot to win the game. Kremer’s line: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K.
Kremer had some help. The O’s worked counts early and loaded the bases in the second inning. That brought Jackson Holliday to the plate. And his grand slam busted the Birds out of whatever funk they were in. And they led 4-0.
Cleveland would slightly battle back. Arias’ solo homer in the third cut the lead to 4-1. And there the game remained as it went on…and on. Until Ramon Laureano smacked a solo homer in the last of the seventh, extending the lead to 5-1.
But the game was won an inning later. With two runners on, Brandon Hyde went to Yennier Cano out of the pen. Cano would strike a hitter out, and walk another – loading the bases. He would proceed to induce a double-play, with the hitter grounding back to him. He went to the plate for one, sand Adley Rutschman threw to first for the second out ending the inning. (Interference was called at first to get the third out.)
The O’s would add on late, with a solo homer by Ryan O’Hearn among other things. They ran the final to 9-1. But make no mistake that Yennier Cano won the game for them. Cleveland threatened in the eighth, and a big inning would have changed the game. But Cano allowed nothing. End of the day, the O’s got the win. And now try to get on a streak.
The series concludes tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 