BOSTON -- The last time through the rotation, three Orioles starters gave up one run over 26 2/3 innings. Jordan Lyles allowed the lone run in a complete game on Sept. 21, Kyle Bradish followed with 8 2/3 scoreless frames on Thursday night and Dean Kremer rounded it out with a complete-game shutout on Friday night.

Lyles, Bradish and Kremer combined for an 0.34 ERA across those three starts. The results haven’t been as strong this turn through, with the same trio teaming up to post an 11.57 ERA over 9 1/3 innings in the first three of four games vs. the Red Sox.

After going the distance his last time out, Kremer gave up three runs on six hits (including two homers) over five-plus innings while walking four and striking out two in Baltimore’s 3-1 loss to Boston at Fenway Park on Wednesday night. With back-to-back defeats, the Orioles lost ground in the AL Wild Card race, falling 4 1/2 games behind the Mariners for the third spot.

Kremer (8-6) was charged with the loss. Keegan Akin, who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk ahead of the game, pitched three scoreless innings of one-hit ball to go the rest of the way.

“I thought Dean didn’t have his best command [early],” manager Brandon Hyde said. “I thought he got better as the game went on. … I thought he battled through his first couple innings without his best command, just giving up minimal damage. We gave up three runs tonight. Akin was outstanding. It was good to see Akin throw the ball the way we did.”

What was the biggest difference for Kremer on Wednesday compared to his last outing vs. Houston? 

“Stuff overall -- didn’t really command it all that well,” Kremer said. “I mean, I had four walks. It was a grind all the way.”

“From warming up in the bullpen, I could tell his stuff was not there tonight,” Robinson Chirinos said of his batterymate. “I told him [while we were] walking back to the dugout, ‘Today’s the day you have to compete and grind and try to give this team a chance to win a game.’ And he did that. I’m proud of him the way he competed today, especially not having his best stuff.”

Second to his cutter, Kremer favored his curveball against the Astros, throwing the pitch 27 times and generating 16 swings and seven whiffs. The right-hander struggled to command the pitch against the Red Sox, getting just three swings and one whiff with it.

Kremer vs. Houston
Cutter: 30 pitches, 17 swings, 4 whiffs
Curveball: 27 pitches, 16 swings, 7 whiffs
Changeup: 21 pitches, 6 swings, 3 whiffs
Sinker: 16 pitches, 8 swings, 1 whiff
Four-seam: 12 pitches, 5 swings, 0 whiffs

Kremer vs. Boston
Cutter: 34 pitches, 17 swings, 1 whiff
Four-seam: 28 pitches, 16 swings, 1 whiff
Changeup: 13 pitches, 1 swing, 0 whiffs
Sinker: 10 pitches, 5 swings, 1 whiff
Curveball: 10 pitches, 3 swings, 1 whiff

Kremer struck out Tommy Pham with his curveball to open the bottom of the first before allowing a double to Rafael Devers on the curve. Kremer walked Xander Bogaerts and gave up an RBI single to Alex Verdugo before getting J.D. Martinez to ground into a double play to escape further damage. 

“I think everything [wasn’t feeling as crisp],” Kremer said. “Including the curveball, cutter, fastball, all of it. [My pitches] just weren’t coming out as crisp as they were last outing. It was just a grind.”

“You could ask every player, you’re never going to feel at your best every time you go out there,” said Chirinos, who broke his 13-game homerless streak to score the Orioles’ lone run. “I don’t care if you’re a pitcher or a position player, you’re always dealing with something, and tonight [that was the case for him]. He did good for us.”

With the exception of 12-year veteran Lyles, the Orioles are working with a young pitching staff, including a pair of 26-year-olds in Bradish and Kremer. Bradish made his Major League debut on April 29, while Kremer is in his first full season after debuting in 2020.

“These are growing pains these guys are going to be going through. They’re new to the league and haven’t pitched a whole lot in the big leagues,” Hyde said. “And they haven’t pitched a six-month season before, and so these are experiences that are going to make them better going forward.”