ARLINGTON, Texas — Dean Kremer’s return to Globe Life Field went much better than the last time he pitched there. The result was still the same.
In October, the Rangers pounded Kremer for six runs in 1 2/3 innings to complete their sweep of the Orioles in the American League Division Series. It was Kremer’s first playoff start, and his struggles — with his offense scoring only one run — led to the unceremonious end of Baltimore’s magical season.
Sunday, Kremer made it into the sixth inning and allowed three runs for a serviceable start. But his offense hit more like it did in Baltimore’s playoff swan song than the previous two nights as the Orioles couldn’t complete the sweep of the Rangers with a 3-2 loss.
“I don’t care about that,” Kremer said. “It’s not really relevant to what’s going on this season. It’s a new year. It sucked the last time we were here, but it is what it is.”
Kremer (4-6) retired nine of the first 11 batters he faced, but ran into trouble in the fourth because of a pair of walks and one bad pitch. He issued free passes to Wyatt Langford and Nathaniel Lowe to bring up Rangers catcher Jonah Heim. Kremer then hung a first-pitch splitter to the left-handed hitting Heim, a former Orioles prospect who Baltimore drafted in 2013’s fourth round, and watched as he belted it 400 feet to right-center field to put Texas up 3-0.
“I thought Dean was good,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Two-out walk to Lowe hurt before the homer. I thought he had good stuff and just made kind of a bad pitch to Heim.”
Baltimore’s bats used up most of their power Friday and Saturday — combining for seven home runs and 17 runs — and didn’t leave enough left over Sunday. The Orioles’ lone offense came from Anthony Santander’s scorching-hot bat, as the switch-hitter blasted a two-run homer in the eighth to breathe life into an offense that had only four hits prior.
Santander began the season slow and entered June with nine home runs — half the total of teammate Gunnar Henderson at the time. Now, Santander, one of the Orioles’ five All-Stars last week, has 27 long balls, one behind Henderson and fifth most in the majors.
“He’s a good hitter, man,” Kremer said. “There’s not much he can’t barrel. It’s fun to watch.”
Aside from Santander, who has four homers in his past four games, Baltimore’s offense looked more like it did before the All-Star break than in the first two games of the series. Against left-hander Andrew Heaney and his bullpen, the Orioles were 5-for-31 (.161) and 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
Rangers closer Kirby Yates, also an All-Star, retired Colton Cowser, Heston Kjerstad and Cedric Mullins in order to slam the door in the ninth.
Baltimore falls to 60-39 but remains atop the American League East with a two-game lead over the New York Yankees (59-42), who lost to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
Despite his 4-10 record, Heaney has pitched well this season, allowing three or fewer earned runs in each of his past 14 starts. He gave up just two hits in five frames Sunday.
In 12 innings against the Orioles this year, the southpaw has surrendered only two runs with 14 strikeouts. He has started both of Texas’ wins over Baltimore this season after he punched out 10 in the Rangers’ 11-2 win over the Orioles on “Sunday Night Baseball” in late June.
“I thought we did the same thing off Heaney last time: not much,” Hyde said. “He’s got kind of a unique arm slot, really throws in ball to righties. We just didn’t do a whole lot offensively. Can’t really put my finger on it except we just didn’t swing the bat very well today.”
Kremer was bailed out in the sixth by reliever Bryan Baker, who induced an inning-ending 1-6-3 double play after entering with runners on the corners. Kremer, the Orioles’ No. 3 starter with Kyle Bradish and John Means out for the season, has failed to complete six innings in six straight starts, dating to early May before he missed time on the injured list with a triceps strain. The 28-year-old right-hander has a 4.43 ERA after posting a 4.12 average last year.
“Stuff has been pretty solid since I came back off the IL,” he said. “I like where everything’s at and the mix we kind of have going. Just lost it a little bit command-wise. The walks ended up hurting me.”
Kremer earned the start in ALDS Game 3 because of his successful second half in which he posted a 3.25 ERA and helped the Orioles win both clinch games — to make the playoffs and win the division — in September.
How can Kremer have another good second half?
“Keep the ball in the yard, for one,” he said. “Limit the walks and execute as many pitches as possible.”
After taking two of three from the defending World Series-champion Rangers (47-52) this weekend, the Orioles end the season series against Texas 5-2. Baltimore scuffled to end the first half, winning only one of its final six games and going 9-13 across its final 22 contests.
But the Orioles took their first series of the second half as they attempt to defend their AL East title.
“I think June was a rough month for us. All of us were trying to catch our breath,” Kremer said. “We had one of the tougher schedules there travel-wise and whatnot. I think the All-Star break was a refreshing break for a lot of us and kind of get our feet back under us and continue.”
Around the horn
• Henderson was originally out of the Orioles’ lineup when it was first made public, but it was updated later with him in his normal spot atop the order and at shortstop. He replaced Ramón Urías, who was originally listed at third base after his first three-hit game of the season Saturday. Hyde said postgame that Urías was scratched because of neck soreness. “He woke up with his neck being sore, so he was unavailable for the game today,” he said. “He got a lot of work on it this morning and unfortunately couldn’t go. Unfortunate I had to put Gunnar back in there. We wanted to give him a little bit of a rest day, but he played great.” “
• Ryan O’Hearn didn’t start Sunday after taking a 95 mph fastball off his left knee, but he pinch hit and played an inning in left field. He said his bruised knee is “very sore” but that it “feels better than I thought it was going to.” On Saturday, O’Hearn became the first player in AL history with two hit by pitches, two walks and a home run in the same game. His long ball came in the at-bat after he was plunked the second time, and with 15 friends and family members in attendance, he’s happy he stayed in the game. O’Hearn grew up in Texas, and the homer was his first in 11 games in Arlington. “To finally get one here in front of my family is very cool,” he said.
• In his first time speaking with the media since he was hit in the head by a 96 mph fastball, Kjerstad said it took him only a few days to feel back to normal after he was placed on the concussion IL last weekend. Kjerstad was reinstated Saturday and started in right field. “Anytime you take a pitch to the head, it can be pretty bad,” he said. “Thankfully, it could’ve been a lot worse and getting out of that one with a mild concussion is probably best-case scenario.”
• Former Orioles pitching prospect DL Hall started against Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday during his minor league rehabilitation assignment with the Nashville Sounds (Brewers). Hall allowed two runs in 2 2/3 innings as he makes his way back from a sprained knee. The Orioles traded Hall and Joey Ortiz, a National League Rookie of the Year candidate, to Milwaukee for ace Corbin Burnes this offseason.
