O's game blog: A chance for a series win versus the LAA

ANAHEIM – The Orioles have won three straight games on this road trip by a combined 21-11 score and they look to keep that momentum going tonight in the second game of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.

Baltimore (86-61) opened a 3.5 game lead atop the AL East after Monday’s 6-3 win at Angel Stadium. Gunnar Henderson hit a three-run homer, Austin Hays added an RBI double while Ryan Mountcastle and Aaron Hicks produced run-scoring singles.

The Orioles are 3-2 against the Angels this year and 9-3 since the start of the 2022 season.

The Birds are 44-25 with the best road record in the AL and are 32-16 in the second half. The Orioles are 42-19 (.689) versus sub .500 teams.

Los Angeles (64-74) has lost seven of eight and 11 of 14 games and they are 8-23 since Aug. 1.

Right-hander Dean Kremer (12-5, 4.20 ERA) will make his 28^th start for the Orioles. Kremer is a pitcher rolling right now, allowing one run in 12 innings his past two starts against Toronto and the Chicago White Sox with no walks and 10 strikeouts.

Kremer has four straight quality starts with an ERA of 2.16 in that span. Over his last 10 starts, Kremer is 4-1 with a 2.90 ERA, allowing a .203 batting average and .592 OPS.

The Orioles are 20-7 in Kremer’s starts this year, including a 9-1 mark in his last 10. The team win percentage in his outings, is one of the best win percentages in Orioles’ team history.

.784 – Steve Stone in 1980, 29-8

.775 – Mike Cuellar in 1970, 31-9

.763 – Mike Flanagan in 1979, 29-9

.759 – Wally Bunker in 1964, 22-7

.741 – Dean Kremer in 2023, 20-7

The O’s record in Kremer’s starts is second only to the Braves’ record in Spencer Strider’s starts (22-5, .815; minimum 25 games started). Stone and Flanagan won Cy Young Awards in the seasons listed above.

Lefty Reid Detmers (3-10, 5.01 ERA) gets the start for Los Angeles. Detmers, 24, has allowed 120 hits in 124 innings this year and the Angels are 9-15 in his outings.

Detmers allowed four runs or more in three of his five starts in August, going 1-2 with a 7.94 ERA and .993 OPS against.

The Orioles have scored 21 runs on 35 hits in winning the past three on the road trip and they are 11-for-29 (.379) with runners in scoring position. 

Baltimore has scored 102 runs the past 16 games (6.4 per game).

O's starting pitchers have nine quality starts the last 14 games and the team is 8-1 in those nine games. The Orioles are 46-13 (.790) for the year when they get a quality start.