Orioles’ rally not enough as Craig Kimbrel stumbles again in painful 7-5 loss to Rockies (2024)

DENVER — The Orioles were bruised, kicked and knocked down Saturday night, losing two players to injury and falling behind on a pair of three-run deficits. They rallied to tie the game but couldn’t complete the comeback as Craig Kimbrel’s struggles resurfaced in a 7-5 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

Baltimore lost starting pitcher Dean Kremer to injury in the fourth inning, when Rockies right fielder Jordan Beck hit a 103.1 mph comebacker off the right-hander’s forearm. Kremer was later diagnosed with a right forearm contusion and X-rays came back negative for a fracture — a positive development after a large welt was visible on his arm — but it did put an early end to his evening and force manager Brandon Hyde to turn to his bullpen for 5 2/3 innings.

“It was scary, too, right away,” Hyde said. “It was swelling up right away. But we’re really fortunate X-rays were negative and so obviously it’s going to be a little bit to get the swelling down. We’ll see how it goes.”

Ramón Urías also had two close calls at the plate with pitches up and in. He dodged the first offering by Ryan Feltner in the third, but two innings later another pitch from the Rockies starter glanced off his nose. Urías was shaken up but remained in the game. Yet as lucky as he was to avoid a more serious injury there, he still ended up having to leave the game in the seventh when shortstop Ezequiel Tovar slid into his ankle stealing third base.

Neither Kremer nor Urías were made available to the media after the game. Urías, who was diagnosed with a sprain, made an appearance in the Orioles’ clubhouse on crutches and left with head trainer Brian Ebel.

All the while, the Orioles (78-59) had to overcome early holes of 3-0 and 5-2. Kremer wasn’t as sharp over the first three frames as he had been for most of August, allowing three runs in the second inning on an RBI single by second baseman Brendon Rogers and catcher Drew Romo’s two-run double on a bloop to shallow left field. After the Orioles responded with two runs in the top half of the fourth, Kremer left a runner on first when he departed that Keegan Akin allowed to score for a fourth run on his final pitching line.

The Orioles stayed within striking distance thanks to Anthony Santander, who hit a two-run home run for his 39th long ball of the season. He moved with one long ball of becoming the eighth player in Orioles history to hit 40 home runs in a season and the first since Mark Trumbo blasted 47 in 2018.

Colorado got its two-run lead back against Akin, who began his appearance with a walk, a wild pitch and a two-run triple by designated hitter Charlie Blackmon. But the Orioles would rally once again the following frame. Eloy Jiménez hit his first home run since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline with a 441-foot solo shot to center field. They then loaded the bases and Ryan O’Hearn cashed in with a two-run single to tie the game.

“In this ballpark, things happen fast,” O’Hearn said. “Runs happen fast. I’ve seen crazy games in this ballpark. Seems like a game lasts five hours because there’s always guys on base, there’s always runs being scored and the ball is flying and all that. So, I think that’s one thing when you come here and you play at this field. It’s like, you’re not ever out of it. You’re down a couple runs in the middle innings and you just got to keep going, keep grinding out at-bats and hitting the ball hard.”

Baltimore’s bullpen then rattled off three consecutive scoreless innings. Burch Smith and Gregory Soto each handled full frames — with the latter extending his scoreless streak to eight straight appearances — before Cionel Pérez and Yennier Cano combined for a clean seventh. Colorado’s relief corps responded in turn, putting the game on Kimbrel’s shoulders in the eighth.

Kimbrel picked up a strikeout to begin the inning, but left fielder Nolan Jones doubled and came around to score on an RBI single by Beck, who advanced to second on the throw. Beck then stole third base and scored on an RBI groundout for an insurance run.

“He got the first out and then double that we didn’t really get to,” Hyde said. “Just left some pitches elevated.”

The Orioles had a chance to tie it in the bottom of the ninth when Adley Rutschman came to the plate with runners on the corners and two outs, but he struck out on a check swing to end the game.

While the loss stings for Baltimore, which hasn’t strung three consecutive wins together since the All-Star break, the possibility of either Kremer or Urías missing time is far more crushing. The Orioles are about to get Zach Eflin back from the injured list Sunday with other stars Grayson Rodriguez, Danny Coulombe and Jordan Westburg still sidelined. Another injury blow could be the knockout punch that spells an early exit from the playoffs in October.

“We have reinforcements on the way at some point and I think that, in the meantime, we got to find a way to scratch and win games,” O’Hearn said. “I don’t want to say that there’s not a sense of urgency because there is. I think maybe defensively late in games, I think we got to be a little sharper. We got to have a little bit more of a sense of urgency. We got a chance to win the series tomorrow and that’s the goal. Show up tomorrow, win a game, win the series, take some momentum going back home and get hot in September, have some guys come back and that’s the plan. That’s all you can do.”

Around the horn

• After expressing optimism all week that Eflin would be ready to return from the IL on Sunday when he was first eligible, Hyde confirmed after the game Saturday that the veteran right-hander would be taking the ball. Eflin posted a 2.13 ERA in four starts with the Orioles before a shoulder injury forced him to the shelf for 15 days.

• First baseman Ryan Mountcastle’s injured wrist is not improving “as much as I was hoping,” Hyde said. Mountcastle is eligible to return from the IL on Monday but was still wearing a cast on the wrist he jammed into second base on a double Aug. 22.

• Orioles outfield prospect and 2022 first-round draft pick Enrique Bradfield Jr. left Double-A Bowie’s game Saturday with left quad tightness, the team announced. Bradfield entered hitting .291 with seven stolen bases and an .800 OPS in 14 games since being promoted from High-A Aberdeen.

• Trevor Rogers made his second start with Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday and put up much stronger results than his 10-run outing his last time around. The left-hander allowed two runs on three hits and a walk with five strikeouts over six innings. Rogers would be on normal rest as an option to replace Kremer if his forearm injury sends him to the IL.

Orioles at Rockies

Sunday, 3:10 p.m.

TV: MASN2

Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM

Originally Published: August 31, 2024 at 11:15 p.m.