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

After Tuesday's 8-3 loss to Boston, the Orioles are back at Fenway Park tonight to play the second game of a three-game series. There are only five games remaining in the 2020 season.

The Orioles (23-32) had a run of good pitching come to an end last night. But in fairness, they also made three errors, scored just three runs and went 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position. They earned that loss. But in the homestand against Tampa Bay and Atlanta before this trip, the Orioles allowed three runs or fewer in six of eight games and posted a 3.36 ERA.

They have now lost five of the past six and 11 of 14 games. The O's are 12-23 against the American League East and 11-9 versus the National League East. Their offense has produced just 20 runs the last eight games and 37 over the past 13. They have scored two runs or fewer nine times the last 13 games.

Boston (21-34) is two games behind Baltimore for fourth place. The Red Sox have won five of their past eight games and are 9-7 in the last 16. Boston is 15-16 over its previous 31 games. Red Sox starting pitchers are 6-2 with an ERA of 3.15 over the last 16 games. Boston is 4-4 this season against the Orioles and 9-8 over the past 17 between these clubs.

With three good starts to begin his major league career, right-hander Dean Kremer (1-0, 1.69 ERA) will make his fourth start tonight for the Orioles. In 16 innings he has allowed just eight hits and three runs with nine walks to 20 strikeouts. In the first two innings of his three starts he has a 4.50 ERA and opponents have batted .227 (5-for-22) against him. From the third inning on, his ERA is 0.00 and opponents bat .091 (3-for-33).

The Orioles are 1-2 in those three starts but they've lost games by scores of 2-1 to the Yankees and 3-1 to the Rays. Lefty batters hit .111 with a .495 OPS against him and right-handers bat .192/.613.

Kremer has thrown his fastball 50 percent of the time with an average velocity of 93.2 mph. He uses his curve 29 percent, cutter 19 percent and changeup two percent.

Kremer gave up just one hit and one run over six innings in his big league debut Sept. 6 versus the Yankees. He became the fourth pitcher in Orioles history to work at least six innings while allowing one or fewer hits in his major league debut. The others to do that were Chris Waters in 2008, Anthony Telford in 1990, and Bob Milacki in 1988. Kremer became the sixth pitcher in club history to strike out at least seven batters in his big league debut.

Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (3-2, 4.25 ERA) will make his ninth start of this season and his third against Baltimore. He threw five scoreless innings last Thursday against Miami. And he has a 1.20 ERA for his last three games. In that span, over 15 innings, he has walked one and fanned 17 batters. The Red Sox are 5-3 in his starts.

His strikeout-to-walk ratio of 7.33 (44-to-6) is the seventh-best ratio in the majors among pitchers throwing at least 40 innings. He is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts in 2020 against the Orioles.

How tonight's lineup fares against Eovaldi:

* Cedric Mullins is 3-for-8 with two RBIs.
* DJ Stewart is 0-for-4.
* Ryan Mountcastle has never faced him.
* Renato Núñez is 7-for-12 with two homers and seven RBIs.
* Chance Sisco is 0-for-3.
* Austin Hays is 2-for-6.
* Rio Ruiz is 0-for-6.
* Pat Valaika is 1-for-3 with a solo home run.
* Ramon Urías has never faced him.