Wednesday afternoon, on a sunny 91 degree day (announced game time temp.), the Baltimore Orioles broke their four game losing streak by defeating the Chicago White Sox (45-40) 6-1 in front of 19,045 die-hard fans. In need of a starter for the game, the team recalled Dean Kremer (1-1) from the 60-day IL. Kremer was in Norfolk on a rehab assignment, trying to return from a right quad strain.
Right from the start the game had all the appearances of a long struggle. Kremer’s second pitch of the game, a 92.9 mph 4-seam fastball, was hit 388 ft. to deep right center field at 99.5 mph by Chicago’s Sam Antonacci. Kremer was able to recover by retiring the next three batters to end the first inning. He proceeded to retire the next eight White Sox batters before Braden Montgomery doubled with two outs in the fourth. The ball hit the padding of the right center field wall and was confirmed as a double upon a crew chief review.
Kremer remained in the game through the sixth inning, giving the Orioles another quality start and eventually earning the win with a line of 1 run, 4 hits, a walk and 4 strikeouts on 79 pitches (50 K’s).
Tyler Wells struck out 2 in 2.0 clean innings of relief and Andrew Kittredge pitched a clean ninth. Kittredge was rushed into the game after Ryan Helsley appeared to do something to his right arm while warming up.
The bats took some time to get going as the Orioles were held hitless and only managed 3 walks over the first 4.0 innings. Tyler O’Neill (1 for 2, BB) opened the fifth inning with third homerun of the season. A one out walk followed by a pair of singles loaded the bases for Adley Rutschman to drive in a run with a single and for Taylor Ward to do the same with a sacrifice fly. A wild pitch by Chicago’s Trevor Richards resulted in the inning’s fourth run.
Blaze Alexander‘s (2 for 4) triple in the fifth brought Leody Taveras (1 for 3, BB) home and then Taveras did one better in the eighth with a lead-off homerun, his third of the season.
As the Orioles hit the road for a brief three-game 4th of July Holiday series at Great American Ballpark, the question becomes does this win start another winning streak or does previous patterns hold and a loss follows? I’m not sure the Orioles even know the answer to that.
2026 Record: 40-48
Next Game: Fri. 7/3 @ 7:10 pm @ Cincinnati Reds
