BALTIMORE — Part of the reason the Orioles could justify not being more aggressive in adding starting pitching this offseason was their confidence in their incumbent group.
But then top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez wasn’t deemed ready for their season-opening rotation. He arrived only because Kyle Bradish exited his season debut in the second inning with a bruised right foot. On Wednesday, Dean Kremer, who opened the year as Baltimore’s No. 2 starter, continued to struggle in an 8-4 defeat to the Oakland Athletics.
The Orioles’ bullpen joined Kremer in not looking like the 2022 version, as an Oakland team that entered the night as baseball’s worst struck for four runs over the final two frames, while Kremer again was unable to perform as the pitcher who was perhaps the most improved member of Baltimore’s breakout season.
