Dean Kremer didn’t need the extra day anyway.
The Orioles right-hander’s start against the Toronto Blue Jays was pushed up one day after fellow starter Jack Flaherty was scratched because of fatigue. Kremer still had proper rest to toe the rubber Wednesday night at Camden Yards, and the shake-up didn’t rattle him.
Kremer twirled six magnificent innings and the bullpen followed with three sparkling frames of its own to bounce back from Tuesday night’s series-opening defeat to shut out the Blue Jays, 7-0. Anthony Santander provided two of the Orioles’ first three runs before the offense broke out in the eighth inning, as the switch-hitter hit two solo home runs in his return to the field after missing the previous three games with lower back soreness.
Kremer, Jacob Webb, Yennier Cano and Shintaro Fujinami combined to allow just five hits without issuing a walk for the Orioles’ eighth shutout of the season. It is their third this month, joining the club’s 2-0 win over the New York Mets on Aug. 6 and 1-0 victory versus the Seattle Mariners. The last time the Orioles pitched a shutout without issuing a walk was April 18 against the Washington Nationals — another game Kremer started.
Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins and Adley Rutschman joined Santander with RBIs, and Toronto let in an additional run in the eighth on an errant throw by catcher Danny Jansen — one of three Blue Jays errors.
The Orioles haven’t been swept in 80 consecutive series going back to May 2022 — the fourth-longest streak in MLB history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Baltimore (78-48) is two games up on the Tampa Bay Rays atop the American League standings and 8 1/2 ahead of the third-place Blue Jays.
Kremer was available to start Wednesday thanks to Monday’s day off and the stretched-out nature of the Orioles’ six-man rotation. Flaherty said he didn’t “bounce back” the way he normally does in between starts, leading the club to start Kremer instead. Manager Brandon Hyde said veteran Kyle Gibson will start Thursday, also a day ahead of his expected turn in the rotation.
After allowing two singles in the first inning, Kremer retired the next nine batters and didn’t have more than one base runner in any of his final five frames. The 27-year-old scattered five hits and struck out five in one of his best starts of the season.
Kremer struggled to begin the season with a 6.67 ERA in April, but he’s since been one of Baltimore’s most reliable starters with a 3.70 ERA. In his past nine starts dating back to July 5, Kremer has a 3.06 ERA and 1.075 WHIP. His quality start Wednesday was his sixth in that time frame and third straight.
Blue Jays at Orioles
Thursday, 7:05 p.m.
TV: MASN, MLB Network (out of market only)
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
Rockies at Orioles
Friday, 7:05 p.m.
TV: MASN, MLB Network (out of market only)
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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