The first pitch thrown by Dean Kremer with the Orioles in 2 ½ months was a called strike on a 93 mph fastball.

The second pitch, also a four-seamer, produced a towering fly ball that landed over the right field fence.

Get the bugs worked out early and proceed with the start.

Kremer didn’t allow another run through the sixth, and the Orioles sent nine batters to the plate in the fifth inning while scoring four times to post a much-needed 6-1 victory over the White Sox before an announced crowd of 19,045 at sweltering Camden Yards.

By averting a sweep, the Orioles improved to 40-48 going into the off-day. Their 40th win last year arrived on July 6 in Atlanta.

Kremer allowed four hits, walked one and struck out four, and manager Craig Albernez removed him after 79 pitches. He’s registered a 3.18 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and .194 opponents’ average in three starts. He’s also 4-0 with a 1.54 ERA in five career starts against the White Sox.

Tyler Wells retired all six batters he faced after relieving Kremer. Ryan Helsley was warming, but Andrew Kittredge entered in the ninth after Albernaz came out of the dugout to talk to the umpires. Helsley took a seat on the bullpen bench, raising concerns about his health. He was on the injured list earlier this season and missed almost two months with right elbow inflammation.

The MASN broadcast showed Helsley rubbing his forearm and flexing his hand. The phone rang in the dugout and word reached manager Craig Albernaz that Helsley was experiencing more elbow discomfort.

“He’s getting looked at right now and evaluated. So we’ll have more information in like the next couple days, but we’ll see,” Albernaz said.

The Orioles signed Helsley to a two-year, $28 million contract with an opt-out, needing a replacement closer while Félix Bautista recovered from shoulder surgery. He has eight saves and a 4.11 ERA in 17 appearances.

“My level of concern with something like that is always high,” Albernaz said. “It’s almost like you prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Hopefully everything comes out and he’s fine, but you’re always concerned when bullpen calls out and says, ‘Hey, he can’t go.’ But we’ll kind of see where this leads and more information. Hopefully it was kind of just precautionary.”

A team that can’t escape a health crisis also is worried about reliever Keegan Akin, who went on the injured list this week with left elbow discomfort. He had an MRI and the Orioles received the results.

“He’s going through the options right now of what the next steps are,” Albernaz said. “We should have those, whatever he decides and the plan of attack, in the next couple days.”

Even the highs of today are countered by a few lows. Welcome to 2026.

The Orioles didn’t have a hit against left-hander Noah Schultz, who came off the injured list today, until Tyler O’Neill led off the fifth with his first homer since May 16. Gunnar Henderson drew a leadoff walk in the first, O’Neill walked in the second and was erased on a double play, and Jackson Holliday led off the third with a walk and was stranded.

O’Neill drove a sweeper 430 feet to left field at 109.5 mph to tie the game 1-1.

The Orioles loaded the bases with one out in the fifth on Holliday’s walk and Blaze Alexander’s single against Schultz and Henderson’s single off lefty Bryan Hudson. Adley Rutschman singled to give the Orioles a 2-1 lead, Alexander raced home on Taylor Ward’s fly ball to right, and Henderson dived across the plate on Trevor Richards’ wild pitch.

It takes a village for the first-place White Sox to stumble.

Alexander tripled with two outs in the sixth to score Leody Taveras and increase the lead to 5-1. The at-bat raised his average to .382 with a 1.003 OPS since May 3.

Taveras hit his third home run in the eighth inning, a 412-foot shot at 107.5 mph. His other two homers were April 18 and 20.

Ward broke an 0-for-19 streak with a single in the seventh.

Kremer responded to Sam Antonacci’s leadoff homer by retiring the next three batters, getting back-to-back strikeouts with his splitter. He retired 11 in a row before Braden Montgomery doubled with two outs in the fourth. Jacob Gonzalez walked and O’Neill made a sliding catch near the right field line to rob Chase Meidroth. Kremer raised his cap in the air to salute O’Neill, whose fingerprints were all over this game.

“That diving catch was awesome, it was a huge catch,” Albernaz said. “But that home run, for a variety of different reasons, but for today’s game, it was our first hit and also tied the game up. But also for T.O., he hasn’t been getting the results that he’s wanted all year, and for him to step up and all the work he’s been putting up behind the scenes and kind of showing up today.

“He has a couple Gold Gloves, and we all know the arm talent he has, but right now, his ability to kind of put his body on the line, making diving plays, it’s been awesome to watch and see.”

“I like playing defense,” O’Neill said. “I like being out there trying to make the plays for the boys. Got a good jump on that one today. Timing worked out perfect that I could dive for it. Just a big situation, so happy to keep those runs off the board.”

Kremer described the catch as “huge, huge.”

“Great day for him,” Kremer added. “The homer, and the catch. The defense in general was really good today. And Rutsch back there, we were very like-minded.”

Teammates knew that it was Canada Day and they serenaded the British Columbia native in the dugout.

“That kind of lightened up the mood,” Albernaz said. “Everyone was singing ‘O Canada’ when he came in with the anthem hands over the heart. It was a good loosening moment for the boys.”

“They were giving it to me a little bit, but that’s awesome, man,” O’Neill said. “I love it. I eat it up. Obviously, being Canadian Independence Day today, so it was a fun one out there today, for sure.”

Rutschman also assisted Kremer by throwing out Luisangel Acuña attempting to steal in the fifth. Kremer’s pitch count was a measly 63, and he worked around Antonacci’s leadoff single in the sixth for another scoreless frame.

“Really impressive,” Albernaz said. “It’s good to have Dean back. Did a great job of, after the first hitter, giving up the solo shot, did a great job of just kind of settling into the game. He had great command of his fastball today. Split came along as the outing went. I love the use of the curveball, especially early in counts. He did a great job of the push-pull attack and just attacking the strike zone and keeping us in the game, because Schultz early on, he was really good. … We needed Dean to kind of keep the game where it was, and he did.

“Dean’s pedigree, his track record, he’s battled tested, and to have that presence, knowing that he can navigate the game and control his emotions, slow heartbeat, and that’s what we value and what we missed.”

Said Kremer: “Physically, feel good, good enough to be here. And it was pretty hot today but, other than that, feel good. Stuff is okay. I had two months off, wasn’t the best. But kept my arm in shape, kept my feel and so getting back was easier than if I had to shut down throwing. A lot of positives today.”

Kremer lasted only two appearances before straining his right quadriceps. He was a surprising late camp cut based on limited space – Zach Eflin made the club as the fifth starter – and hadn’t pitched since April 18.

“Being on the IL, for me, I feel like a waste of space because I’m not bringing any value or adding to anything up here, not adding on the field,” Kremer said. “So that’s probably one of the hardest things for me in rehab was watching from a distance and not feeling like you get to be a part of something, but it’s great to be back, kind of start from here.”

“Dean’s been here, great veteran presence, great baseball mind,” Albernaz said. “The way he goes about his business, his work. He’s also a really good pitcher and to have him back, it means a lot. And obviously his presence has been felt the past couple days being around here, being around the guys and the rest of the starting pitching group.”

The rotation has undergone more changes. Kremer’s in and Trey Gibson’s out. Chris Bassitt remains on the 15-day injured list after having surgery to remove a bone spur in his lower back. Trevor Rogers, Brandon Young and Kyle Bradish will start this weekend in Cincinnati, followed by another off-day and, most likely, Shane Baz taking the mound Tuesday night against the Cubs at Camden Yards.

“Extremely confident,” Albernaz said. “I love having our guys. I enjoy giving them the ball every five days, watching them do their thing. They all have made great strides and just consistently getting better. And so for us, we have to lean on these five guys moving forward. And it’s great to have Dean back to kind of set that foundation for us.”

The rotation has been a bright spot for a team fighting to get back to .500 and make a playoff push while also convincing the front office that it should buy rather than sell.

“We believe in ourselves, I think that’s first and foremost,” O’Neill said. “We all know how much skill’s in this locker room and what guys have done in the past and capability that we have offensively, defensively and pitching the ball. So, it’s just a matter of time before we really string it together and get on a run for multiple games in a row. But like I said, it was a good one out there today, so we’re going to go to the off-day, wear it a little bit, come back and take it to Cincy.