After getting dominated in Game 1, the O’s turn to Dean Kremer to try and even the series with San Francisco.
This time last week the Orioles were only half a game back from Yankees in the AL East and coming off a win in Boston. In five games since, Baltimore is 1-4, having scored less than two runs per game, and the deficit in the AL East has ballooned to four games.
The state of this O’s team recently has been pretty consistent: more often than not, they’re going to get good starting pitching. In September, the Orioles starting pitchers have an ERA of 2.89—the 7th-best mark in the major leagues. Zach Eflin continues to be excellent, Corbin Burnes is back to playing his best baseball and the rest of the staff has followed suit. Too often though, the bats have been so eerily silent that it doesn’t matter.
The Orioles lineup has collectively slumped so hard that it’s basically become Gunnar Henderson, Cedric Mullins and a bunch of guys. In September, the Orioles are 6-2 in games where either Henderson or Mullins records and RBI. In games where neither the SS nor CF contribute to the scoring, the O’s are 0-6. The Orioles have scored 49 runs in September, and Henderson and Mullins have driven almost 40% of those runs. If you add Anthony Santander to that mix, that trio has driven in over 50% of the Orioles runs this month.
The Orioles’ next attempt at righting the offensive ship comes against the Giants and rookie Hayden Birdsong. After struggling through August (to the tune of an 8.68 ERA), the former 6th-round pick out of Eastern Illinois has looked a lot sharper in his last two outings. In his last start against the Brewers, he held Milwaukee to two hits and no runs over five innings. It was only his second start all year pitching at least five innings without allowing a run.
If the Orioles can take a patient approach against Birdsong, it should lead to some runs. The rookie’s command is some of the worst in baseball this year and he averages six walks per nine innings when pitching on the road. After the Orioles racked up 22 swings and misses against Blake Snell on Tuesday, they’ll need to be more selective against he hard-throwing right-hander.
Baltimore counters with Dean Kremer, who looks to continue an excellent run of form when he takes on the Giants. The Northern California native has five quality starts in his last six outings, a stretch that has seen him hold opponents to a .213 average while putting up a 2.63 ERA. Kremer will likely look to his splitter often against a Giants lineup that’s seen relatively few split-finger fastballs this season. Of tonight’s starters, only former Oriole prospect Mike Yastrzemski is hitting above .200 on splitters, and most have seen less than 20 splitters all season.
Orioles lineup
- Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
- Cedric Mullins (L) CF
- Anthony Santander (S) RF
- Heston Kjerstad (L) DH
- Colton Cowser (L) LF
- Ryan O’Hearn (L) 1B
- Emmanuel Rivera (R) 3B
- Jackson Holliday (L) 2B
- James McCann (R) C
Starting pitcher: RHP Dean Kremer (7-9, 4.10 ERA, 113 Ks)
Giants lineup
- Mike Yastrzemski (L) RF
- Lamont Wade Jr. (L) 1B
- Heliot Ramos (R) LF
- Michael Conforto (L) DH
- Tyler Fitzgerald (R) SS
- Grant McCray (L) CF
- Casey Schmitt (R) 3B
- Donovan Walton (L) 2B
- Curt Casali (R) C
Starting pitcher: Hayden Birdsong (3-5, 4.74 ERA, 68 Ks)