The Orioles send Dean Kremer to the mound looking to earn an improbable split in Fenway.
Where to watch: MASN
Probable pitchers: RHP Dean Kremer (3-5, 5.50 ERA, 40 Ks) vs. RHP Walker Buehler (4-1, 4.00 ERA, 33 Ks)
After the opening of this series in Boston, the idea that the Orioles would get anything but swept seemed far-fetched. Baltimore dropped a delayed Game 1, 19-5, in a game that saw infielder Emmanuel Rivera give up more runs pitching (8) than the entire O’s offense generated while hitting. That gave way to a loss in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader, where the O’s led 5-2 after the top of the 5th but ended up losing 6-5 in extras.
Trevor Rogers’ gem in the second game of the doubleheader breathed an unexpected whiff of positivity into this Baltimore team. After Rogers propelled the O’s to a 2-1 win Saturday night, they come into today’s game trying to earn a split. Had you offered Birdland a split on Thursday, most would have snapped your hand off trying to accept. Now, we’re only a duel between Dean Kremer and Walker Buehler away from that becoming reality.
Kremer has been this rotation’s ultimate wild card, and usually not for the better. He started May by throwing seven shutout innings in a home win vs. the Royals, followed by seven innings of two-run ball against the Twins. He has since crashed back to earth, allowing 8 ER over 11 combined innings in two losses to Minnesota and Milwaukee.
Trying to regain his form from the beginning of the month will be a tall task against this Boston team. Fenway Park has usually been a hall of horrors for Kremer, who has a career 7.71 ERA and .316 BAA in baseball’s oldest stadium. He found more success in his most recent visit to Boston, holding the Red Sox to two runs (1 ER) over five innings—though the O’s lost 5-3 in extras.
For the long-time Dodger Buehler, he’ll be facing the Orioles for only the third time in his career. He put up mixed results against Baltimore last year in Dodger Stadium, allowing four runs (2 ER) in 4.2 innings—though he did not factor in the result. Ramón Urías led the way offensively that day, going 2-3 with a double, single and two RBIs. Urías, who is in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak, will bat fifth against Buehler today.
Orioles Lineup
- Jackson Holliday (L) 2B
- Adley Rutschman (S) C
- Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
- Ryan O’Hearn (L) DH
- Ramón Urías (R) 3B
- Emmanuel Rivera (R) 1B
- Cedric Mullins (L) CF
- Dylan Carlson (S) RF
- Jorge Mateo (R) LF
Red Sox Lineup
- Jarren Duran (L) LF
- Rafael Devers (L) DH
- Wilyer Abreu (L) RF
- Carlos Narváez (R) C
- Kristian Campbell (R) 2B
- Marcelo Mayer (L) 3B
- Abraham Toro (S) 1B
- David Hamilton (L) SS
- Ceddanne Rafaela (R) CF