HOUSTON — Dean Kremer has had his struggles the third time through the order this season, with the splits likely factoring into why Orioles manager Brandon Hyde aggressively went to his bullpen in the right-hander’s previous start Sunday at the Little League Classic. But on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park, with Kremer cruising into the seventh inning against the best team in the American League, Hyde extended the young pitcher’s leash.
Although the Houston Astros struck for their first run of the series in the frame, Kremer finished it with a double play, then got two more outs to guide the Orioles to a 3-1 victory and earn a series win in Houston that moved Baltimore within 1 1/2 games of an AL wild-card spot.
Kremer’s 7 2/3 innings gave Baltimore (67-59) its third straight outing of at least seven frames, the first time the club has had such a turn through its rotation since July 31 to Aug. 2, 2017, when Ubaldo Jiménez, Dylan Bundy and Jeremy Hellickson each went deep in a sweep of the Kansas City Royals.
