O's game blog: Dean Kremer faces the Red Sox

The Orioles have not won a home series this year - going 0-3-1 - and they need to win the last two games of this current series with Boston just to gain a split. The Red Sox have posted 6-2 and 11-6 wins to start this four-game set at Oriole Park.

Rookie Zac Lowther allowed seven runs over 2 1/3 innings last night and Boston opened a 9-2 lead after four innings. The Red Sox have 21 hits in this series, with the Orioles scoring eight runs on 20 hits.

After Saturday's loss, the O's team ERA jumped up from 3.91 to 4.13, which currently ranks ninth in the American League. Boston, with an ERA of 3.99, ranks seventh.

The Orioles are 3-5 against Boston this year and the visiting team has won every game of the season series. The Orioles are 6-21 against the Red Sox at Oriole Park since the beginning of 2018. Since the start of last season, the O's have gone 8-10 against Boston overall.

The Orioles are only 4-12 at home and with last night's loss fell to 2-10 when they score first.

The Red Sox own Major League Baseball's best record (21-13, .618). Since getting swept by the Orioles to begin the season, they are 21-10 (.677) and 5-1-3 in series. They have won four of their last five games. The Sox' plus-35 run differential ranks third in the majors and Boston leads the majors in come-from-behind wins (14).

The Red Sox have scored 45 runs in their last five games. They scored 11 or more runs in three of those five and at least five runs in each of them. The Red Sox lead the majors in runs (183), batting average (.269), slugging (.445), OPS (.779), doubles (76) and extra-base hits (120). They have struck out in 21.8 percent of plate appearances, the third-best mark in the majors.

The Orioles have hit at least one home run in each of their last nine games (12 total) and have gone 5-4 during this stretch. Their nine straight games with a home run is the second-longest active streak in the AL and is their longest stretch of the season. It is the Orioles' longest streak since homering in 18 straight games from Sept. 6-24, 2019.

The Orioles have hit multiple home runs in five of their last 13 games, going 5-0 in these contests. They are 8-3 on the year when they hit multiple home runs, 3-8 when homering just once and 4-7 when they hit no home runs.

Right-hander Dean Kremer (0-2, 6.43 ERA) will make his fifth start this afternoon. He is coming off a good outing Monday at Seattle. Over six innings, he gave up two hits and one on 94 pitches to record his second career quality start. In his only career start versus the Red Sox, he allowed seven hits and seven runs on Sept. 23, 2020 over 2 2/3 innings.

For the season, he has allowed 26 hits and 15 earned runs over 21 innings with a 1.619 WHIP, allowing 11.1 hits per nine with 3.4 walks and 9.4 strikeouts. The Orioles are 3-2 in his outings. In nine career starts for Baltimore, he is 1-3 with a 5.67 ERA and 1.538 WHIP.

Boston's starter is righty Nick Pivetta (4-0, 3.23 ERA). The Red Sox are 5-1 in his outings and he's allowed two earned runs or less four times. On April 11 versus the Orioles, he gave up seven hits and four runs in six innings on 101 pitches. In two road starts, he is 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA.

O's manager Brandon Hyde was asked today if there is any reason for the club's strong road record of 11-6 while going 4-12 at Camden Yards.

"It's still really early for me with that," he said during a Zoom session. "We just got beat by a really good team the last two days. Haven't played very well on this homestand. So hopefully we start playing better today.

"I think it's a coincidence and early right now, why we're not playing better at home. We have played pretty well on the road and hopefully we can start playing like we are on the road here at home."