O's game blog: Dean Kremer faces Houston in Game 2

HOUSTON – After snapping Houston’s seven-game home win streak Friday at Minute Maid Park, the Orioles can win this series with another victory tonight against the Astros.

The Orioles (66-59) have won their last two and four of five games after the 2-0 win, their 11^th shutout coming on a combined four-hitter by Kyle Bradish, Cionel Pérez and Dillon Tate, who got the last out for his third save. Bradish allowed just two singles over eight innings, which was the longest outing by an O’s starter this year. He walked two and fanned six in a 96-pitch outing that included 51 percent sliders.

Bradish is the seventh rookie in O's history to throw eight or more scoreless innings on two or fewer hits on the road and first since Chris Waters on Aug. 5, 2008 at the Los Angeles Angels. Bradish became the eighth rookie in MLB history to do so against the Astros and only the second to do so in Houston since 1962.

The last three O’s starters – Spenser Watkins, Jordan Lyles and Bradish – have all recorded quality starts and allowed three earned runs over 21 innings. While scoring just six runs in winning back-to-back versus the White Sox and Astros, O’s pitchers allowed just two earned runs over 20 innings. The O's rotation has now posted five quality starts in the past 10 games with an ERA of 2.70 in that span. Baltimore's pitching has given up three runs or less seven times the last 11 starts.

Bradish’s outing produced the 30^th quality start of the year by Baltimore pitchers and the Orioles are now 20-10 when they get such an outing.

The only run-scoring hit of Friday’s game was a Ramón Urías two-run homer in the sixth. He hit No. 14 on a 1-1 fastball from Cristian Javier to break the 0-0 tie.

Houston (81-46) is leading the AL West by 11.5 games over Seattle. The Astros had a four-game winning streak snapped last night but over longer stretches they have won six of nine and 10 of their last 15 games. Houston is 42-19 at home and 27-9 at home since June 12.

The Orioles gained on two of the three wild-card teams Friday with Toronto and Tampa Bay losing while Seattle beat Cleveland in extra innings. Through Friday’s games they were three games behind Tampa Bay holding the first wild card and 2.5 behind both the Blue Jays and Mariners.

O’s righty Dean Kremer (5-4, 3.45 ERA) will make his 15^th start tonight. He has allowed 80 hits in 75 2/3 innings for the year with a 1.295 WHIP, 2.1 walk rate and 7.0 strikeout rate. The Orioles are 9-5 in his starts.

In his last two against Toronto and Boston, Kremer gave up three runs over 12 1/3 innings for a 2.19 ERA with three walks and 10 strikeouts to go with a .273 batting average against and .728 OPS. Kremer has allowed two earned runs or less in eight of his 14 starts, pitching six innings or more four times.

For Houston, right-hander José Urquidy (12-4, 3.63 ERA) will make his 24^th start. He has yielded 124 hits over 134 innings with a 1.134 WHIP, 1.9 walk and 7.0 strikeout rate. And Houston is 16-7 when he starts and 5-1 his last six games.

Urquidy, who has 14 quality starts, has thrown seven innings or more three times in four August starts. In that span his ERA is 2.70 with four walks to 24 strikeouts over 26 2/3 with a .595 OPS against.  

The O's have now thrown 11 shutouts in 125 games this season; Baltimore recorded 11 shutouts in 384 games from 2019-21.

Baltimore has played six straight games that have been decided by two runs-or-less, going 4-2 in those games. The Orioles have played 69 games decided by one or two runs, the most in the AL and third-most in MLB, going 35-34 (.507) in those games.