Orioles’ 9th-inning rally not enough to overcome Dean Kremer’s rough outing in 7-6 loss to Blue Jays (2024)

TORONTO — Amid a slew of injuries to their pitching staff, the Orioles need Dean Kremer at his best down the stretch — and potentially as a playoff starter in October. On Thursday night, he was far from the pitcher Baltimore hopes he can be, surrendering a three-run lead to the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning and never recovering in an eventual 7-6 loss.

On the other side, Toronto starter Kevin Gausman, who has not pitched up to his usual Cy Young Award-caliber standards this season, held the Orioles to three hits over eight innings. Baltimore rallied with four runs in the ninth against the Blue Jays’ bullpen but couldn’t complete the comeback.

“Just trying to get the tying run to the plate somehow and we did and we had the tying run on base, so great job of rallying there in the ninth inning, just a little bit too little too late,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We’ve got to give up less runs than we’re giving up.”

Undone by walks, a high pitch count and the red-hot bat of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kremer recorded only 13 outs as he fell short of the five-inning mark for the third time in his past six starts. The right-hander’s ERA rose to 4.70, on pace for his highest figure since his rookie year in 2021.

Kremer’s first inning had a little bit of everything. He allowed the first three Blue Jays he faced to reach base on a walk and two hits, capped off with an RBI double by Guerrero. Another run came home on a balk — the first of Kremer’s career — and he allowed a third to cross the plate when Alejandro Kirk hit an RBI single. Kremer struck out two batters swinging and threw a wild pitch before finally getting out of the frame with a popup on the infield.

While Kremer did get through the next three innings unscathed, his pitch count climbed as he worked his way out of several jams. A throwing error by Jackson Holliday at second base didn’t help, but the 28-year-old right-hander allowed five walks in the game while working deep into counts against several Blue Jays hitters. No one proved to be a tougher out than Guerrero, who took Kremer deep for a two-run home run in the fifth just before Hyde went to his bullpen.

“I threw a lot of noncompetitive pitches in general today, or too many,” Kremer said. “I thought I made a good pitch to Kirk and he hit it and the sinker in to Vladdy, I don’t think it was a bad pitch either. He’s just swinging it right now.”

But Guerrero wasn’t done. After Daulton Varsho made it 6-2 on an RBI single with a sharp ground ball that deflected off Ryan Mountcastle’s mitt at first base, Guerrero hit a deep fly ball to right field off Orioles left-hander Keegan Akin for an RBI triple. The Blue Jays infielder has a 20-game hitting streak dating to July 14; seven of those games have been against the Orioles.

Gausman set the tone for Toronto early by retiring eight straight to start the game before Ramón Urías drew a two-out walk in the third. Colton Cowser then appeared to breathe some life into the Orioles’ offense with a line drive down the left field line for a two-run home run, his 17th of the season and third since being moved to the leadoff spot July 28.

“The first one I felt like probably could have let it travel a little bit more,” Cowser said of flying out to the warning track on Gausman’s first pitch of the game. “So, second AB, I was really just trying to get a good pitch to hit over the plate, and backed it up a little bit more and shot it the other way.”

It was the 28th homer the Orioles hit off Toronto this year, their most against any opponent in a single season since they set the franchise record with 34 against the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018. Though the Orioles (69-48) lost the midweek series, Thursday marked the final game between the American League East rivals this year, and Baltimore won the set 7-6.