Dean Kremer takes no-hitter into the 7th against Rays

BALTIMORE — Six days after being struck by a 103.1 mph liner, Dean Kremer’s right forearm still had imprints of the seams from the baseball that hit him at Coors Field. The swelling in his right hand had finally subsided in the few days prior, although marks from the injury remained.

“It hurt, but what are you going to do?” Kremer said. “It hurt, and it’s stiff now, but it is what it is.”

The discomfort for the 28-year-old right-hander wasn’t apparent Friday night, when not only did he make his next scheduled start, but he nearly had a chance to make his own mark on the Orioles’ record books — or at least it seemed possible for a while.

Kremer took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning of a masterful outing in Baltimore’s 2-0 series-opening win over Tampa Bay at Camden Yards. The righty racked up seven strikeouts and cruised for the majority of his six-plus frames, recording 17 whiffs (one shy of his career high) and helping the O’s (82-60) preserve their half-game lead over the Yankees (81-60) atop the American League East standings.

There had been some uncertainty regarding when Kremer would pitch again. After he exited his previous outing vs. the Rockies in the fourth inning, a trip to the injured list seemed nearly inevitable, considering the giant lump that immediately emerged on his forearm.

“I give him a ton of credit,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “A lot of guys would have asked for a few more days or sat this one out. He’s still got seams on his wrist. But yeah, he was determined from about that second or third day after he got back off the trip.”

At that point, Kremer had gotten back to throwing, and he had a side session on Wednesday, at which point Hyde said the team was “50-50” on whether Kremer would start Friday. He played catch at Camden Yards on Thursday’s off-day, which made the O’s comfortable enough to send him out to face the Rays.

Kremer never viewed his status as in doubt.

“After it had gotten examined and we ruled out a fracture when we got back home, I was fairly confident that I’d be able to make my next start,” Kremer said.

Kremer was in control for most of his 88-pitch, two-hit gem. He retired 16 of the first 20 batters he faced, working around a trio of walks and a hit-by-pitch. Every offering in his vast arsenal was generating swing-and-miss, including his four-seam fastball (six whiffs), splitter (five), cutter (four) and curveball (two).

“We’ve always had our fits with him,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said of Kremer, who has a 2.31 ERA in seven career starts vs. the Rays. “He’s got a good cutter/slider going. He’s kind of developed the split, or if he’s had it, he’s got more confidence with it right now.”

Tampa Bay ended Kremer’s pursuit of history in the seventh, which Junior Caminero opened with a single. Dylan Carlson followed with a single, and then the Rays loaded the bases with no outs via first baseman Ryan O’Hearn’s error on a Josh Lowe grounder, prompting Kremer’s exit.

But Kremer’s scoreless line was preserved by right-hander Yennier Cano, who entered and retired three consecutive Tampa Bay batters to get Baltimore out of the jam unscathed.

“We noticed around the fourth inning or so that he had a no-hitter going, and we all got real quiet in the bullpen,” Cano said via O’s team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “He gave up a hit there in that inning, but we wanted to keep the shutout going. …

“We’re really happy with the way he pitched, and really happy we were able to get the job done.”

Cionel Pérez (two-thirds of an inning) and Seranthony Domínguez (four-out save) preserved the shutout for the Orioles, who scored their runs on Jackson Holliday’s sac fly in the fifth and Gunnar Henderson’s leadoff homer in the sixth (his 36th home run of the season).

Baltimore’s banged-up rotation likely couldn’t have afforded to lose Kremer, who missed a little more than two months due to a right triceps strain earlier this year. Grayson Rodriguez (right lat/teres strain) remains on the IL, while Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells underwent season-ending UCL surgeries in June.

Kremer knows what it’s like to pitch in these meaningful games in September after helping to lead the O’s to the AL East title last season, and he’s ready to do it again.

“Coming down the stretch, every game is important, especially against interdivision,” Kremer said. “We’re just trying to go out there and win every game.”