Kremer retires only one batter in 9-0 loss (updated)

After his second walk of the first inning tonight, Orioles starter Dean Kremer swatted at the ball with his glove while taking the throw from catcher Pedro Severino. After the third, he spun around with his back to the plate. Faced with a bases-loaded, no-out jam, no matter where he stood.

The frustration only grew for Kremer, along with the deficit and pitch count. One batter retired, six runs against him, a seat on the bench with teammates patting him on the back in an attempt to encourage and console.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a grand slam and Kremer was removed after his fifth walk. Short starts for the Orioles reached an extreme and their road losing streak increased to 20 games with the Blue Jays winning 9-0 in Buffalo.

Adam Plutko surrendered a solo home run to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the second inning and a pair of two-out RBI doubles in the third, and the Orioles fell to 23-52 by losing for the 14th time in 15 games.

The Orioles have been outscored 35-3 in the last four games and have gone 24 consecutive innings without a run.

Travis Lakins Sr. saved the bullpen with a career-high four innings, with just one hit allowed and no walks. He retired the side in order on four pitches in the seventh. A huge performance considering how much of the game needed to be covered after Kremer.

Coming into that situation is "not really difficult for me," Lakins said on his media Zoom call. "I try to keep my routine and whenever my name is called, I do the best I can. I attack hitters. That's my game plan."

Kremer is the first Orioles starter to walk five batters and retire only one, according to STATS. Bob Milacki issued five walks in two-thirds of an inning on May 20, 1991 in Detroit.

Tonight's outing ranks statistically as the worst by an Orioles starter since Dylan Bundy allowed seven runs to the Royals and didn't record an out on May 8, 2018.

"Just looked like he had a tough time throwing the ball over the plate," manager Brandon Hyde said on his Zoom call. "Five walks in a third of an inning, just didn't have command tonight. Fortunately for us, Plutko and Lakins were the MVPs, going 6 2/3 for us and bailed us out."

Only five starters in major league history have walked five batters and allowed six or more runs in one-third of an inning or fewer, Not the kind of company that Kremer wants to keep.

"I think it could be a combination of things," Kremer said. "I think right now it's more mental than physical, but it's just something that I'm going to have to chip away at from week to week.

"I'm going to go back and watch video and hopefully come to a conclusion here soon and work through the steps to continue to get better. Obviously, it's not going as I had hoped or as I'm sure the front office hopes, but it's something I've got to take one step at a time. Can't really get bogged down by every failure."

Kremer sought his first win since his major league debut on Sept. 6, 2020 against the Yankees at Camden Yards, but he threw 39 pitches in the first and never had a chance to regroup.

"I've had them, I think everybody's had them," Lakins said. "In the minor leagues and in the big leagues, I think everybody's had them and it takes a toll on you, but the best thing about this game is you have a short mentality. You have a short stint where you've got four days to get better and dominate the next outing, and I know that's what Dean's going to do."

The first three walks were followed by an RBI single for Teoscar Hernández and Randal Grichuk's ground ball that Pat Valaika turned into an out with a diving stop and throw. Cavan Biggio walked and Lourdes jumped on the first pitch he saw, an 87 mph cutter.

Joe Panik fell behind 0-2 and coaxed another walk out of Kremer to bring Plutko into the game. Only 17 of Kremer's 39 pitches were strikes.

The five walks were a career high.

"Five walks, that's embarrassing on my part and for our team," Kremer said. "That's unacceptable. That can't happen."

"I just think he's been super inconsistent," Hyde said. "He had a good start against these guys last time out and tonight he had a tough time throwing the ball over the plate. Consistency is the key in the big leagues and you've got to be able to have command of multiple pitches and know where you're throwing the baseball. He was pretty good last start and tonight he didn't have it."

Also frustrating to Hyde is the lack of plate discipline from hitters who keep chasing out of the zone. He watched it happen numerous times again in the last series against the Astros. Valaika struck out tonight in the second inning on a high fastball from Anthony Kay after one-out singles by Maikel Franco and Severino.

Cedric Mullins walked to load the bases and Trey Mancini struck out.

Ryan Mountcastle began the day leading all rookies with 26 hits this month and he followed Mancini's one-out single in the first inning with one of his own. Anthony Santander and Austin Hays struck out.

Mullins threw out Grichuk trying to advance to second base on a deep fly ball, ending the fourth inning with Toronto ahead 9-0. He led off the fifth with a single.

Severino led off the seventh with a double, reached third base with one out and was stranded. Mullins struck out and Mancini flied out.

Mountcastle walked again leading off the eighth and Hays singled with one out, but the Orioles couldn't bust up the shutout. Mountcastle had one walk this month before tonight and his only multi-walk game was April 4.

Kay, making his seventh major league start and 23rd appearance, shut out the Orioles on five hits with eight strikeouts over a season-high five innings. His career high is 5 2/3 innings in his debut on Sept. 7, 2019.

Asked what he's seeing from his hitters, Hyde said, "I'm seeing that we're down a touchdown early back-to-back nights and that's not easy to come back from."

Notes: Double-A Bowie infielder Joey Ortiz, a fourth-round pick in 2019 out of New Mexico State, went on the injured list with a strained left shoulder. Ortiz was promoted from Single-A Aberdeen to Bowie after 19 games and is batting a combined .263/.353/.449 with 15 extra-base hits.

Kyle Brnovich made his Bowie debut and allowed one run and three hits in four innings.

Zac Lowther started for Triple-A Norfolk and allowed five runs and three hits in four innings. He walked three and struck out five. Gwinnett's Ryan Casteel hit a grand slam.

Single-A Aberdeen first baseman JD Mundy and Single-A Delmarva outfielder Cristopher Cespedes hit grand slams.