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.
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.
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. But he stayed in the game, allowed two more runs and bequeathed two runners to reliever Branden Kline.
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.
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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.
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Left-hander Bruce Zimmermann rebounded from a tough major league debut last week to pitch four innings of one-run relief to finish the game for the Orioles.
Zimmermann, an Ellicott City native, struck out five against one walk with two hits allowed to lower his ERA to 7.71.
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Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays led the Orioles offense with three hits apiece Wednesday, with Hays’ home run in the seventh inning producing their only run. Pat Valaika had three hits as well.
Hays has hit .371 since coming off the injured list with a rib injury, and his home run was his second in five games.
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Kline was one of five players on the taxi squad for the Orioles for this week’s road trip, but was added to the roster for Evan Phillips, who went on the injured list with right elbow inflammation.
Phillips left Tuesday’s game with elbow soreness, though manager Brandon Hyde said before the game that they hoped the team got him out of the game before the issue was made worse.
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