Dean Kremer is on the bump as the Orioles open up the final series of the season’s “first half.”
Normally, meetings between the Orioles and Marlins are non-interesting. The two sides do not play very often. They are in opposite leagues. And I would imagine that neither time spends much time thinking about the other. But that changes a little bit with this series.
That’s because the Birds and Fish pulled off a trade last year that has angered a portion of the Orioles fan base. That trade landed Trevor Rogers in Baltimore, and Kyle Stowers and Connor Norby in Miami.
Until recently, that trade was a big win for Miami. Norby was pretty good last year. Stowers has been good this year. And Rogers had been a dud. But all of the sudden, Rogers has returned to his former all-star form. Now that deal doesn’t look so terrible, although there is plenty of time for the pendulum to swing back.
Rogers won’t pitch tonight. He’ll take the mound in Game 2. But Norby and Stowers will be in the Miami lineup for this one, so it’s still worth noting. If either one does something of interest, you can expect that aforementioned portion of the fan base to chirp up.
Hopefully, the Orioles win regardless of the two former farm hands in the Marlins lineup. A sweep this weekend would be a lovely way to end the “first half.” And it would give Mike Elias an awful lot to think about as he prepares for the trade deadline at the end of the month.
Orioles lineup
- Jackson Holliday, 2B
- Jordan Westburg, 3B
- Gunnar Henderson, SS
- Ryan O’Hearn, DH
- Ramón Laureano, DH
- Colton Cowser, LF
- Tyler O’Neill, RF
- Cedric Mullins, CF
- Jacob Stallings, C
RHP Dean Kremer (7-7, 4.53 ERA)
Marlins lineup
- Xavier Edwards, 2B
- Jesús Sánchez, RF
- Otto Lopez, SS
- Agustín Ramírez, C
- Kyle Stowers, LF
- Eric Wagaman, 1B
- Liam Hicks, DH
- Connor Norby, 3B
- Javier Sanoja, CF
RHP Edward Cabrera, (3-3, 3.33 ERA)