BALTIMORE — When Dean Kremer jogged out to the Camden Yards mound Wednesday, he did so just past the five-year anniversary of when the team he was about to face traded him to the Orioles.
The 27-year-old right-hander is the only player left of the five Baltimore acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers when they traded star infielder Manny Machado five years ago Tuesday. For the Dodgers, the trade was one of many they have made at the cost of continually pushing for World Series titles. It took half a decade, but the Orioles are now at the level to challenge for them, too, with their trade of Machado beginning a painful rebuild that’s finally paying off.
With Wednesday’s 8-5 victory to close their series with Los Angeles, the Orioles have gone 70 straight multi-game series without being swept, the eighth-longest streak in major league history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. With the Texas Rangers’ 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, completing a three-game sweep, Baltimore will enter its upcoming series at Tropicana Field tied with the Rays (60-39) for the American League East lead.
