Orioles surrender three home runs in latest loss to Twins (updated)

The players-only meeting held by the Twins after Wednesday’s game in Atlanta must have lit a fire under the team. Or perhaps the searing words from their manager.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde predicted before tonight’s game that the Twins would get hot. His words rang true.

Dean Kremer surrendered two more home runs to increase his season total to 19 in 17 starts, and Minnesota maintained its hold on the Orioles with an 8-1 victory before an announced crowd of 34,792 at Camden Yards.

Fans came for the baseball, but also the floppy hats and “DJ Diesel.” The popular giveaway item and musical entertainment from NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal would have to carry the night.

Kremer was down 5-0 after three innings and didn’t record an out in the fourth before leaving with two runners on base. Joey Gallo homered in the second inning, Max Kepler hit a two-run shot in the third, and the Orioles fell to 48-32. They’ve dropped eight of their last 14 games, and their three-game streak matches the longest of the season.

Byron Buxton belted a three-run homer off Bruce Zimmermann in the fourth after pinch-hitter Kyle Farmer flied to the left field warning track. Kremer was charged with a season-high seven runs and seven hits, and his ERA rose from 4.50 to 5.04.

The Twins, a game below .500 but sitting in first place in the American League Central, are 26-8 against the Orioles since 2017 and have won every season series. They can claim another series in Baltimore this weekend.

More rain blanketed the area and caused a one hour and 26 minute delay at the start. Kremer just couldn’t get going, throwing 89 pitches while matching his shortest start of the season April 1 in Boston.

The Twins were 0-for-23 with runners in scoring position while being swept in a three-game series against the Braves. Royce Lewis dropped a broken-bat single into center field tonight with two outs in the first inning to bring home Carlos Correa for a 1-0 lead.

Kremer had an odd inning, striking out three batters on his changeup, fastball and cutter, but also throwing 27 pitches and allowing a ground ball single to Correa and blooper to Lewis at 71.6 mph.

Lewis was 13-for-33 in his last nine games before tonight.

Kremer finished with five strikeouts in three-plus innings. The Twins have struck out 849 times and are on pace to shatter the 2021 Cubs’ record of 1,596 and become the first team in major league history to average 10 per nine innings, excluding the truncated 2020 season.

They made sufficient contact tonight. A lot more than during the Braves series, when they were held to three runs and manager Rocco Baldelli told the media, “I’m not doing my job and the players aren’t doing their jobs if we don’t actually sit here and acknowledge this. … Fixing it is never easy but we better freakin’ fix it fast.”

They got busy on it tonight.

Gallo homered onto the flag count with two outs in the second to give Minnesota a 2-0 lead, his 14^th of the season and his 27^th RBI. He was batting .189.

Kremer had another 27-pitch inning, and he fell behind 3-0 in the third on Buxton’s leadoff walk and stolen base, and Alex Kirilloff’s single. Buxton was 7-for-63 in his last 18 games.

Hyde made the change in the fourth after Gallo walked and Correa was hit by a pitch. Kremer kept his head down as Hyde approached, handed him the ball and walked to the dugout.

"Just tough time executing," Hyde said. "We had a tough time the first four innings executing pitches."

"Got ahead of a lot of guys and just didn't execute and put guys away," Kremer said. "Left some balls over the middle of the plate and got hurt."

Pablo López allowed one run and three hits with six strikeouts in six innings. He posted a 1.73 ERA in his first four starts and a 5.40 ERA in the next 12 before facing the Orioles.  

They left the bases loaded in the second after Cedric Mullins flied out on the first pitch. López had walked Ramón Urías and No. 9 hitter Anthony Bemboom, with Adam Frazier retired in between on a first-pitch fly ball.

Austin Hays’ infield single to begin the inning was the only hit off López until Adley Rutschman’s leadoff home run in the sixth – only his third this month in 22 games. Hays’ ball appeared to deflect off López’s right elbow, but the former Marlin stayed in the game after a few warmup tosses.

Hays singled again with two outs in the sixth, but López struck out three batters and was done at 100 pitches.

"He's a strike-thrower, he's got really good stuff," Hyde said. "Fastball, curveball, changeup. He keeps you off balance. Got really good command. We didn't have much of an answer for him."

Nick Vespi, recalled this afternoon, made his 2023 debut and tossed three scoreless innings.

"The highlight tonight for me was Vespi," Hyde said. "I thought he did a great job."

* Ryan O'Hearn struck out three times and is 2-for-20 on the homestand.

* Catcher Ramón Rodríguez joined the Orioles’ taxi squad. He was on Double-A Bowie’s roster.

* Triple-A Norfolk’s Justin Armbruester allowed two earned runs (three total) and six hits with seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Joey Krehbiel retired all six batters he faced to earn the win.

Josh Lester doubled twice and drove in two runs. Connor Norby had a single and his 22^nd double. Joey Ortiz had two hits and an RBI on a bases-loaded walk in the 10^th that won the game.

Ryan Mountcastle didn't play.

Coby Mayo hit his 15^th home run for Bowie. John Rhodes hit his fifth and also singled, doubled and drove in three runs. Jud Fabian had two hits and two RBIs.

Chayce McDermott allowed four runs and two hits with three walks and eight strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

High-A Aberdeen’s Jackson Holliday hit a two-run walk-off homer. Silas Ardoin went 4-for-4, and Jacob Teter hit his third home run.

Reliever Cameron Weston tossed four scoreless innings with one hit allowed.