O's game blog: The series finale at Kansas City

The Orioles have a chance to split their four-game series at Kansas City with a win today at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals won the first two games of the series before the O’s picked up the 6-4 victory Saturday as Adley Rutschman produced his first career three-hit game and Tyler Nevin hit a go-ahead, three-run homer.

Rutschman hit three balls at 100 mph or more in going 3-for-4 with two doubles. And he is 4-for-7 with three doubles the past two games. Rutschman had a pair of two-hit games, but none of three hits until Saturday. He had gone 2-for-24 his previous seven games.

Right-hander Tyler Wells produced a quality start for the Orioles, allowing five hits and three runs over six innings. He is now 3-4 with a 3.86 ERA after his 84-pitch outing. The O’s bullpen allowed one run over the final three innings, and Jorge López closed it out to record his eighth save.

The Baltimore bullpen has allowed just two earned runs in 9 1/3 innings this series. On the year, the Baltimore bullpen ERA of 3.07 ranks sixth in the majors, behind only Houston (2.65), Detroit (2.80), the New York Yankees (2.89), Cleveland (2.93) and Atlanta (3.06).

Wells produced his third career quality start and the Orioles' 12th of this year. They are 8-4 when getting one in 2022.

Nevin's second home run of the season, and his third through 30 career games, came with a three-run shot that turned a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 Orioles lead, marking the first go-ahead homer of his career. His three RBIs set a new career high, and the sixth-inning home run was his first with runners on base. He drove a 2-1 slider from lefty Daniel Lynch 425-feet to center field, and it had an exit velocity of 103 mph.

In the series finale, right-hander Dean Kremer (0-1, 6.23 ERA) will make his second start. He took the loss Sunday in Baltimore when he allowed three runs and five hits over 4 1/3 innings on 67 pitches. He gave up a three-run homer in the first to the Guardians’ Andres Giménez.

The 26-year-old right-hander had made three rehab starts in the minors and between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk, throwing nine scoreless innings on two hits with two walks and 18 strikeouts. Opponents went just 2-for-29 against him and he allowed just 0.44 WHIP in those games.

Kremer, today making his 19th career start, had a 7.55 ERA in 13 starts for the 2021 Orioles. He had three stints with the big club, recording 1.640 WHIP with a 4.2 walk rate and 7.9 strikeout rate.

Right-hander Brad Keller (1-7, 4.19 ERA) makes the start for the Royals, his 12th of the year. The team is 3-8 in his outings.

On Tuesday he gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings against Toronto. He had thrown six innings or more in four of his past five starts, but his ERA is 6.00 in those games.

Keller is 1-3 with a 2.75 ERA in six home starts, allowing just two homers over 39 1/3, and he has allowed 1.017 WHIP at Kauffman Stadium.

The Orioles (25-35) are 3-3 over their past six games and 11-11 in the last 22. They are 10-20 in road games, but 4-4 over the last eight. Their offense has produced 21 runs the last four games, 114 in the last 22 and 212 runs in the last 48.

Kansas City (20-38) began this series winless in its last seven series at 0-6-1, but would win this one with a victory today.

Since May 1, Trey Mancini has hit safely in 28 of 36 games, batting .338/.423/.500 (46-for-136) with five doubles, one triple, five home runs, 20 runs scored, 17 RBIs and 16 walks.