Big Game Dean Kremer produces his best start, mowing down Orioles in matchup with former team

MINNEAPOLIS — Was there any doubt that Dean Kremer would look this good? Here he was, 10 days after the Orioles traded him to the Twins, matched up against his former team. And he dazzled. He looked as good as he has at any point in his career.

In Baltimore, Kremer was often referred to as “Big Game Dean” by commentators and, occasionally, former manager Brandon Hyde. There may be no bigger game than this, in a new uniform, facing his team of old at Target Field on Monday night.

And Kremer stepped up to that moment by delivering one of the best starts of his career — seven innings, one hit, one walk, seven strikeouts and one run against him.

“I won’t lie, there was definitely a little bit extra, just because they know me, so I’ve got to be even better,” Kremer said.

Before the game, Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser said the last 10 days since Kremer was traded have felt more like a month, given the tumult within the organization. Kremer was just one of four contributors to be offloaded. He was the first one out the door, with outfielder Taylor Ward, right-hander Tyler Wells and catcher Adley Rutschman to follow.

Cowser predicted there would be a fair amount of good-natured chirping from Kremer’s old rotation mates. If there was, even in good cheer, Kremer would’ve quieted those voices immediately in what wound up becoming a 9-5 win for the Twins.

At one point, Cowser and Kremer enjoyed a friendly bit of banter as Cowser jogged to the dugout. But beyond that, Kremer said, “sometimes I go into my own world,” so he didn’t hear much else.

“To be able to control the emotions of going out against your ex-team and to be as efficient as he was, he only gave up one hit and it was a swinging bunt, he set the tone,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “I thought he did a really good job of handling it, because it’s challenging when you’ve only been here for one start and then your second start is against the place you’ve been your entire career.”

Kremer outpitched left-hander Trevor Rogers, who walked two batters, hit another two and allowed four hits in four innings. Rogers said “it was just one of those days where I couldn’t find my command, and I was just battling myself all night out there.”

But he kept this close, in the grand scheme of things, by only surrendering a pair of runs — one of which came on Austin Martin’s solo homer in the third.

The real damage came in the seventh, after right-hander Cam Sanders provided two scoreless innings in relief on the day he was recalled to the big league club for left-hander Cade Povich.

Manager Craig Albernaz turned a one-run game over to right-hander Rico Garcia. The trouble began with an infield single that second baseman Jackson Holliday snared up the middle but had no chance to throw to first. Then Martin bunted, and catcher Carlos Narváez attempted to make a spinning throw to first baseman Pete Alonso. His attempt wound up down the right-field line instead, which set up Ryan Jeffers’ two-run single.

After Garcia issued a walk, Albernaz called on left-hander Grant Wolfram. The middle-middle four-seam fastball didn’t fool Josh Bell, who crushed it for a three-run homer.

“He just has to get ahead and throw strikes, and when he’s ahead, that’s when he’s at his best,” Albernaz said of Wolfram. “But when he falls behind, then he has to come back in the strike zone, and it’s pretty unforgiving when you have to do that.”

By that point, the Twins could turn a healthy lead over to their bullpen. Kremer had done his job — and then some.

“We’ve seen Dean do that before,” Holliday said. “It sucks that he did it to us.”

Kremer retired the first nine batters in order before he issued a leadoff walk to Gunnar Henderson in the fourth. Holliday then provided the lone hit against Kremer — a big hack that turned into a short dribbler that he beat out for a single.

To generate any offense, the Orioles used savvy baserunning. As Tyler O’Neill struck out for the second out, Holliday was taking off for second. Before the throw reached second, Holliday pulled up, then kept a rundown going long enough to allow Henderson to scamper home from third.

For a moment, the game was tied. But Rogers allowed a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and the Twins added on against the Orioles’ bullpen.

Wolfram, who allowed the three-run homer to Bell in the seventh, conceded two more runs in the eighth that helped to separate the teams again after Baltimore’s two runs in the top half of the frame.

And while the Orioles scored two more in the ninth through Coby Mayo’s third RBI of the night, they couldn’t complete a late comeback in a game that felt over long before.

As long as Kremer was on the mound, it appeared the Orioles had no answer. Baltimore has made many a pitcher look superb this year. This time, it just happened to be an old friend who was traded away 10 days ago.

Kremer said he was “very” surprised to be traded. The Orioles were his only major league club, having arrived as part of the Manny Machado trade in 2018. He diced up his former teammates on Monday night.

On Tuesday morning, he’ll go get breakfast with Kyle Bradish, one of his best friends. Just like old times.

“I loved every minute of it,” Kremer said. “It’s an incredible city and atmosphere to play at Camden Yards. The guys are awesome, still. Some of my best friends are over there, which I’m excited to go see them tomorrow for breakfast. But I’m excited to be here. Orioles have a special place in my heart. They gave me an opportunity that I may not have gotten somewhere else. And until the last day, I’m glad to be an Oriole.”