Pitching into the sixth inning for just the second time this season, Dean Kremer started the frame on a sour note, with José Ramírez singling on a curveball in the other batter’s box. Kremer then started the next batter, Carlos Santana, with back-to-back balls.
But Kremer composed himself. He induced a 3-2 pop out on the eighth and final pitch of the at-bat, exiting to the applause of home fans for the first time this year. Kremer pitched the Orioles to a 9-1 win against the Guardians on April 16.
Baltimore improved to 7-10 with the win.
“Kremer really competed,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “I thought he mixed well … best start of the year.”
Kremer allowed four hits and one walk in 5.1 innings, the lone blemish a Gabriel Arias 424-foot solo home run. He notched two strikeouts, both of Lane Thomas. His 96 pitches were a season high.
The right-hander utilized his splitter the most he has all year, throwing it 25 percent of the time, and didn’t allow a single hit off it. The cutter, his most-thrown pitch entering the outing, tied with the curveball for his least-used pitch of the night. Kremer said his pitch usage was a mix of both the game plan and how the night developed.
The outing started strong, which hadn’t been the case earlier this year. Kremer allowed at least one first-inning run in each of his previous three games against the Blue Jays, Royals and Diamondbacks, and averaged close to 20 pitches in the opening frame.
Against Cleveland, the 29-year-old was sharp from his opening pitch en route to a 12-pitch first inning. He retired the first six batters of a game for the first time in 10 outings dating back to last year.
Like with the first inning, Kremer halted his fifth-inning woes, stranding runners on the corners to escape unharmed in his last full frame. It came as Guardians hitters were seeing him for a third time. The starter entered the night allowing a 1.324 OPS the third time through the order.
After letting Toronto, Kansas City and Arizona hit at a .406 clip with runners on base, Cleveland went 1-for-6 in its chances.
Kremer has historically struggled early in the season. He entered Wednesday with a 6.27 career ERA in March and April, easily his worst mark in a month, and an 8.16 ERA this year through three starts. He lowered that mark to 6.41.
“Just try to approach every game like it’s another game,” Kremer said.
BATS KEEP IT SIMPLE
Manager Brandon Hyde said before the game the offense needed to do a better job getting runners on base. He felt they hadn’t walked enough, having entered play on April 16 with the third-fewest walks among big league teams.
“When you see a high percent chase with three-ball counts, that means you’re really trying to do too much,” Hyde said.
Baltimore’s lineup kept it simple against the Guardians. Of the 10 three-ball counts it faced, it drew five walks — tying a season-high.
Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano both blasted home runs off 3-1 fastballs. Cedric Mullins and Ramón Urías each walked on 3-1 counts in the bottom of the second, the latter loading the bases for Jackson Holliday. Holliday, who entered on a 0-for-17 skid, slugged a grand slam to left-center for a 4-0 lead.
The majority of Holliday’s hits during a solo batting practice session four hours before the game’s start went to the opposite field. Holliday’s lone other home run this season on March 28 in Toronto went to left-center.
“Beautiful thing when he uses the middle of the field,” Hyde said.
Hyde said pregame that he’s going to give offseason signees the opportunity to play early in the year, even if it means left-handed hitters like Holliday and Heston Kjerstad have limited at bats against same-sided pitchers.
Laureano, one of those additions, entered the lineup as a late replacement for Tyler O’Neill — another new bat — as the latter was scratched with neck discomfort. The right-handed swinging Laureano belted his first home run as an Oriole in his fourth at-bat against a right-handed pitcher this season.
Seven of the Orioles’ nine batters reached base. They had their best offensive showing since the third game of the year.
“Hitting is definitely, definitely contagious,” Holliday said.
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