BALTIMORE — The Orioles’ second half began much like the first half ended. Baltimore’s starting pitcher tossed a quality start, the offense blasted three home runs and the bullpen held the lead.
The Orioles extended the five-game winning streak they ended the first half with to six Friday with a 5-2 win over the Miami Marlins at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer tossed six stellar innings, Cedric Mullins and Adam Frazier accounted for all the offense and All-Star closer Félix Bautista slammed the door in the ninth.
Kremer allowed just two hits and struck out eight to extend the rotation’s streak of pitching at least six innings to eight consecutive starts. Seven of the eight, including Kremer’s on Friday, have been quality starts.
In the second, Mullins singled, stole second, went to third on a throwing error by Miami’s catcher and scored on Frazier’s opposite-field single. In the fourth, Mullins and Frazier both smashed home runs off Marlins starter and 2022 National League Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara to give the Orioles a 3-1 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Frazier then blasted a two-run shot in the eighth for the first multi-homer game of his eight-year career.
The Marlins loaded the bases in the third off Kremer, who allowed an RBI single to Bryan De La Cruz, but the Orioles righty escaped the jam by striking out Jesús Sánchez — one of the 16 swings and misses Kremer induced on the night. All-Star Yennier Cano allowed a solo home run to Jorge Soler — the second long ball Cano allowed in the past three games after not surrendering one in his first 35. But Bautista didn’t let his Midsummer Classic hiccup affect him Friday, striking out two and retiring the side for his 24th save.
The win over the NL’s second-best team puts the Orioles (55-35), the AL’s second-best club, 1 1/2 games back of the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays. The last time the Orioles were 20 games over .500 was in 2014.
The Orioles didn’t win their 55th game in 2022 until Aug. 5. In the previous four seasons, they didn’t win 55 games at all.
Hyde provides injury updates
Before Friday’s game, manager Brandon Hyde provided an update on the six Orioles pitchers on the injured list: reliever Dillon Tate (elbow flexor strain, 60-day), sidearm reliever Mychal Givens (right shoulder inflammation, 60-day), left-hander Keegan Akin (lower back discomfort, 15-day), long reliever Austin Voth (right elbow discomfort, 15-day), lefty Cionel Pérez (forearm soreness) and starting pitcher John Means (Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery recovery, 60-day).
For Tate and Givens, two right-handers expected to be key members of Baltimore’s bullpen, the updates were much the same as they’ve been for weeks. Tate, who has yet to pitch for the Orioles and has struggled mightily during two separate minor league rehabilitation assignments, has been shut down after the second opinion on his elbow.
“They’re just shutting him down a little bit,” Hyde said. “He hasn’t played catch yet, so we’re kind of waiting for things to calm down and then we’ll start playing catch at some point.”
Givens, who is with Tate at the team’s facility in Sarasota, Fla., has begun throwing bullpens again, but Hyde noted he’s “still a ways away,” at least a few weeks. The Orioles signed Givens for $5 million in the offseason, but he’s pitched just four ineffective innings in between IL stints for knee and shoulder injuries. He can’t come off the 60-day IL until July 31.
Akin and Voth, two relievers who can serve as one-inning, two-inning or long relievers, are “progressing,” Hyde said. Akin is playing catch on flat ground, while Voth is throwing bullpens in Sarasota with the hope to begin pitching in games next week.
The best news Hyde provided was on Pérez and Means. Pérez, one of Baltimore’s top relievers last year who has mostly struggled in 2023, is beginning his minor league rehab assignment Saturday with Double-A Bowie. Before he landed in the IL on July 4, it looked as if Pérez was beginning to find his stride without allowing a run in his previous six innings. “He feels really good,” Hyde said.
Means, whose recovery from elbow surgery was stunted in May by a strained muscle in the shoulder blade area, pitched off the mound Friday. “He’s progressing extremely well,” Hyde said.
Around the horn
— The Orioles begin the second half with Kremer, Kyle Gibson and Kyle Bradish as their first three starters — a different order than during the first half. Hyde said Tyler Wells wasn’t in the initial grouping to give the MLB-leader in WHIP extra rest. With 104 2/3 innings, Wells has already surpassed his 2022 total. “I think we factor in everything,” Hyde said about his rotation order. “We’re moving Tyler Wells back just because he’s thrown so many innings. We feel comfortable with Dean and Kyle [Gibson], obviously, so they’re gonna get the first couple starts.”
— Baltimore entered the second half with 14 position players versus 12 pitchers as opposed to the standard of 13 apiece. The Orioles went to 14 position players in Minnesota last weekend when they activated first baseman Ryan Mountcastle from the IL. How long their bullpen can sustain only having seven members remains to be seen. “Our bullpen’s fresh,” Hyde said. “Right now, we’re just carrying an extra hitter. Hopefully, we can do that for a while, but things change quickly. We’re just taking it day-to-day roster-wise.”
— Baseball America updated its top 100 prospect list Friday. Jackson Holliday, who debuted in Double-A on Friday, wasn’t atop the list as he is on MLB Pipeline’s, as Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz has yet to graduate to hold onto the No. 1 spot. Holliday remained at No. 2 and seven other Orioles prospects made the list: outfielder Colton Cowser (No. 14), right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (No. 15), third baseman Coby Mayo (No. 34), infielder Jordan Westburg (No. 48), catcher Samuel Basallo (No. 61), outfielder-first baseman Heston Kjerstad (No. 68) and infielder Joey Ortiz (No. 79).
