Delayed Orioles home opener set for today with Kremer on the mound

The threat of severe thunderstorms can’t ruin the Orioles’ home opener this afternoon.

Aaron Judge, maybe, but not thunderstorms.

The temperature in Baltimore reached 85 degrees yesterday but is likely to stay in the 50s today. No rain or hail or high winds, though. Cloudy and playable.

Gates open at noon. Severna Park native Parijita Bastola will perform the national anthem prior to the game. She was a contestant on season 22 of NBC’s “The Voice,” and also performed at Governor Wes Moore’s inauguration earlier this year.

Moore and children Mia and James will throw out the ceremonial first pitches.

And then Dean Kremer will unleash the first one of the day that counts.

Yesterday’s postponement didn’t impact Kremer beyond the extra day of rest. The home opener belonged to him, as it did last year with Baltimore native Bruce Zimmermann.

The season began for Kremer in Boston, where he allowed five runs and six hits in three innings in the Orioles’ wild 9-8 loss. He was replaced after 56 pitches.

Manager Brandon Hyde noted afterward how Kremer didn’t have his best stuff. The curveball and changeup were missing. He’ll need a more complete arsenal today, with the Yankees’ 11 home runs tying them yesterday with the Orioles for third-most in the majors.

Kremer is making his seventh career start against the Yankees. He’s allowed 17 runs and 30 hits with 33 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings.

DJ LeMahieu is 7-for-17 lifetime against Kremer, and Gleyber Torres is 4-for-9.

Judge is 4-for-7 with three home runs, but he’s a problem for everyone. He’s slashing .348/.423/.609 with two home runs in six games, and he’s a lifetime .310/.434/.699 hitter with 18 doubles, 35 homers and 79 RBIs in 87 games against the Orioles.

Nine of those home runs came in 18 games last season, when he batted .369 with a 1.314 OPS.

Kremer is right at home at Camden Yards, with a 4.13 ERA and 1.242 WHIP in Baltimore compared to a 5.34 road ERA and 1.552 WHIP in the same number of games (20). His 2.84 ERA last year in 11 home games was the 14^th-lowest in the American League with a minimum 63 innings.

Judge also is pretty comfortable there, with 19 career home runs, his highest total in any road ballpark.

Judge hit five last season despite the new dimensions in left field and how they seemed to get inside his head. He went 14-for-32 (.438) with 11 RBIs that also were his highest total away from Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees are starting right-hander Clarke Schmidt, the 16^th-overall pick in the 2017 draft out of the University of South Carolina. Schmidt made his sixth career major league start and 35^th appearance Saturday and allowed three runs and five hits in 3 1/3 innings against the Giants. He struck out five batters and surrendered two home runs.

Schmidt has made five relief appearances against the Orioles and allowed two earned runs and four total in 8 2/3 innings. He’s walked seven batters.

The Orioles went 7-12 against the Yankees last season, including 4-6 at Camden Yards.

* Triple-A Norfolk improved to 5-1 yesterday with a 3-0 win over Gwinnett. Ryan Watson, the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year whose spring training was delayed by neck soreness, allowed two hits in five innings. Chris Vallimont didn’t surrender a hit over the last four.

Connor Norby, Joey Ortiz, Hudson Haskin and Lewin Díaz each had two hits. The exit velocities on Ortiz's singles were 103.3 and 108.5 mph. Norby and Ryan O'Hearn have six-game hitting streaks.

Shortstop Cadyn Grenier, the 37^th-overall pick in 2018 out of Oregon State, has retired after playing one game this season and going 3-for-3 with an RBI and two walks.

Grenier never made it to the majors. He batted .224/.339/.350 in 367 games.

* Heston Kjerstad, the second overall selection in 2020, made his Double-A Bowie debut last night at first base.

The extent of Kjerstad’s experience at first was three games with the University of Arkansas in 2020. But the Orioles may be thinking ahead and trying to find ways to get his bat in the lineup with a crowded outfield. And they aren't rich in first base prospects in the system.

The power plays anywhere. Kjerstad homered in the fourth inning in his first Eastern League game. He also had an RBI single and a walk.

Justin Armbruester and Chayce McDermott combined on the shutout. McDermott struck out six batters in four innings and didn't allow a hit.

* Gunnar Henderson has graduated from Baseball America's top 100 prospects list. Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll is No. 1.

Grayson Rodriguez is eighth, Jackson Holliday is 14th, Colton Cowser is 40th, DL Hall is 74th, Jordan Westburg is 75th, Norby is 90th and Ortiz is 92nd.