Kremer stellar for O's in return from IL; O'Neill homers on Canada Day

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles needed a stopper. And right on cue, Dean Kremer returned.

After missing more than two months due to a right quad strain, Kremer was reinstated from the injured list on Wednesday, and provided exactly the type of outing Baltimore was looking for. The 30-year-old right-hander tossed six innings of one-run ball to help the O’s snap a four-game losing streak with a 6-1 win in the matinee finale vs. the White Sox at Camden Yards.

Kremer got support from right fielder Tyler O’Neill, who made a diving catch that prevented a run from scoring to end the top of the fourth, and then jump-started the Orioles’ offense by opening the bottom of the fifth with a home run that ignited a four-run rally.

Baltimore (40-48) bounced back in impressive fashion after falling a season-worst nine games below .500 on Tuesday night.

Chicago pounced on Kremer early, as his second pitch of the day was deposited over the right-center-field wall for a leadoff homer by Sam Antonacci. But the righty settled in from there, retiring the next 11 batters until Braden Montgomery’s two-out double in the fourth.

Kremer limited the White Sox to four hits and one walk during his 79-pitch, 50-strike outing. It was only his third big league start of the season and his first since he was placed on the IL on April 23 (retroactive to April 20).

“Being on the IL, for me, I feel like a waste of space, because I’m not bringing any value, I’m not adding on the field,” Kremer said. “So that’s probably one of the hardest things for me in rehab, was watching from a distance and not feeling like you get to be a part of something. But it’s great to be back and to kind of start from here."

The Orioles’ rotation had a strong June, with Trevor Rogers (2.05 ERA in five starts) and Brandon Young (2.76 ERA in five starts) having the best months on the staff. Kyle Bradish had up-and-down results, though he tossed back-to-back gems at one point (7 2/3 innings of one-run ball on June 17 in Seattle and eight scoreless frames on June 22 in Anaheim). Shane Baz also had a solid showing, recording a 3.68 ERA over six starts.

The return of Kremer (a seven-year MLB veteran who led the O’s with 171 2/3 innings pitched in 2025) should make the rotation even better.

“Dean’s pedigree, his track record, he’s battle-tested, and to have that presence, knowing that he can navigate the game and control his emotions, slow heartbeat,” manager Craig Albernaz said, “that’s what we value and what we missed.”

Baltimore’s bats didn’t help Kremer early in his return, as Chicago left-hander Noah Schultz hadn’t given up a hit through four innings. But O’Neill got to the southpaw, clobbering a Statcast-projected 430-foot home run to left field to tie the game at 1.

It was O’Neill’s first homer since May 16 (ending a 25-game homer-less streak) and his first RBI since May 27 (ending a 17-game drought). It also came on Canada Day, so his Orioles teammates serenaded the Burnaby, British Columbia, native with a rendition of “O Canada” when he returned to the first-base dugout.

“They were giving it to me a little bit, but that’s awesome, man. I love it. I eat it up,” O’Neill said. “It was a fun one out there today, for sure.”

Adley Rutschman put the Orioles ahead, 2-1, with an RBI single, and they led the rest of the way. After the big rally in the fifth, Blaze Alexander added an RBI triple in the sixth.

The O’s hope this victory will be the start of a strong July that allows them to operate as buyers ahead of the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline, as president of baseball operations Mike Elias stated Saturday he hopes to be in a position to do so.

After a three-game set vs. the Reds this weekend in Cincinnati, the Orioles will return home for a six-game homestand with series against the Cubs and Royals. They’ll try to use these next nine games to build positive momentum heading into the All-Star break.

“We believe in ourselves, I think that’s first and foremost,” O’Neill said. “We all know how much skill’s in this locker room and what guys have done in the past and capability that we have offensively, defensively and pitching the ball. So, it’s just a matter of time before we really string it together and get on a run for multiple games in a row.

“But it was a good one out there today, so we’re going to go to the off-day, wear it a little bit, come back and take it to Cincy.”