Dean Kremer controlled his former club for seven innings, giving Minnesota a sturdy start and showing why the deadline addition can matter.
Dean Kremer had every reason to pitch too fast against the club that traded him days earlier.
Instead, he worked through seven innings with one hit allowed, kept Baltimore from building a real threat and gave Minnesota time to break the game open in a 9-5 win.
The matchup added emotion, though Kremer did not let it speed up his delivery or change his plan.
He walked one, struck out seven and retired his final 10 hitters while avoiding the urge to win every at-bat with one pitch.
Extra Feeling Stayed Under Control
Kremer acknowledged that facing familiar hitters changed the night for him when he said, “I won’t lie, there was definitely a little bit extra, just because they know me, so I’ve got to be even better.”
Baltimore knew his habits, so Kremer changed the order of his pitches and kept the familiar hitters from settling into their own plan.
His seven innings with one run allowed forced the Orioles to keep adjusting, while his pace kept the Twins' defense involved during a game that stayed close until the seventh.
Minnesota has had nights when its pitching could not stop an inning from spreading, so Kremer's length carried value beyond the one run.
He protected the bullpen, gave the offense time to see Baltimore's relievers and kept one mistake from turning into three.
He also did not need to guard a tiny lead from the first inning onward.
Minnesota scored in the third and fourth, and Kremer kept handing that small edge back to the lineup without changing his tempo.
By the time the offense broke through in the seventh, the Twins had not asked their bullpen to protect the game for several innings.
The Offense Used the Time
Josh Bell supplied the largest swing with his 16th homer and three runs driven in, a seventh-inning shot that gave Minnesota room after Kremer's work.
Austin Martin added four hits, including a homer and a double, while Ryan Jeffers drove in three.
The Twins made a hard push behind Byron Buxton earlier this summer, but the better version of this offense has pressure coming from several spots before the order turns over.
A Trade Can Change the Rotation Quickly
Minnesota had already been adding pitching depth through smaller moves, but Kremer can help in a more direct way by covering innings.
One start can't settle a rotation, though seven efficient frames make the coming series easier for everyone else.
His arrival also changes how the Twins use their other starters when rainouts or injuries tighten the schedule.
A seven-inning turn buys rest without a roster move and can keep a middle reliever from pitching a third straight day.
That extra rest gives the manager more useful choices late in the next game.
His next start will not come with the same personal edge, so Minnesota will get a cleaner look at how much of Monday's control travels with him.
