With first place possibly up for grabs, Dean Kremer looks to pitch the Orioles to a series win at Fenway.
Sixteen games. That’s all that remains in the Orioles’ 2024 regular season schedule. And there’s a lot on the line in this final sprint.
The O’s begin the day just a half game behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East, thanks to the Birds’ much-needed win in Boston last night and a Yankees loss to the Royals. The Yankees finish their series against Kansas City with a 7:05 first pitch tonight, five minutes before the O’s get underway at Fenway. Best believe there will be plenty of scoreboard watching.
Meanwhile, the Orioles lead the wild card race by three games over the Royals, 5.5 over the Twins, and 8.5 over the first non-playoff team, the Tigers. It’s all but certain the O’s will clinch a postseason spot soon, but their seeding could rise or fall dramatically depending how well they play for these last two and a half weeks.
Tonight, a series win over the Red Sox is on the line. The Orioles’ Dean Kremer has pitched quite well of late, delivering four quality starts in his last five outings, Historically, Kremer has really struggled against Boston — posting a 6.45 ERA in eight starts — but he has yet to face this year’s version. Rafael Devers in particular has given him trouble, going 7-for-18 with two career homers against Kremer.
The Sox counter with veteran Nick Pivetta, who’s facing the Birds for the second time in a month. They handed him a loss with three runs in five innings Aug. 15 at Camden Yards, including dingers by Gunnar Henderson and Cedric Mullins. Those are the first two batters he’ll face in tonight’s game, so hopefully the O’s can get the party started early.
Orioles lineup:
SS Gunnar Henderson
CF Cedric Mullins
DH Anthony Santander
1B Ryan O’Hearn
C Adley Rutschman
LF Colton Cowser
RF Austin Slater
2B Jackson Holliday
3B Emmanuel Rivera
RHP Dean Kremer
Red Sox lineup:
CF Jarren Duran
3B Rafael Devers
RF Wilyer Abreu
LF Tyler O’Neill
DH Masataka Yoshida
C Connor Wong
1B Triston Casas
SS Trevor Story
2B Ceddanne Rafaela
RHP Nick Pivetta