Rookie Kremer ends on sour note
Starting pitcher’s season closes with a rough loss
A promising September for Orioles rookie Dean Kremer ended on a sour note as the young starting pitcher didn’t survive the third inning in a 9-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park.
“I just think he had a tough time putting guys away tonight,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Fastball [velocity] was a little bit down, I thought they were on a lot of his pitches, missed in the middle a few times but I just thought it didn’t go smooth there early.”
Kremer, who debuted with three at-times dominant starts this month, was hit early and often Wednesday as Jackie Bradley Jr. and Kevin Plawecki drove in runs in a two-run first inning. He settled in for a scoreless second, but was drummed for six runs in a third inning that dragged on and never got better.
“I think I just left too many balls deeper in counts center cut, and they got hit,” Kremer said.
With one run in, Kremer got a visit from pitching coach Doug Brocail and assistant athletic trainer Patrick Wesley to look at what appeared to be an issue with a finger on Kremer’s pitching hand. Kremer said it was a cut under his fingernail that didn’t affect him. He stayed in the game, allowed two more runs and bequeathed two runners to reliever Branden Kline on his way out.
Kline allowed those two runs and one of his own to score on a bases-loaded double by Rafael Devers.
Kremer, who entered with a 1.69 ERA over his first three starts, now enters the offseason with a 4.82 ERA.
“I’m pretty happy as a whole,” Kremer said of his four starts this month. “Three of them went well and tonight was what it was, and I just couldn’t feel like I could get anything by anyone. I’m happy with how it went. I got to dip my toe in the water, and I’m looking forward to next year.”
The Orioles (23-33) enter the series finale Thursday in Boston just one game ahead of the Red Sox (22-34) for fourth place in the American League East, which was clinched Wednesday night by the Tampa Bay Rays (37-20).