BALTIMORE (AP) — Dean Kremer allowed three hits in seven innings, Ryan O’Hearn hit a go-ahead, two-run homer and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals 3-0 on Friday night for a rare low-scoring victory in their first shutout this season.
Last-place Baltimore improved to 2-16 when scoring three or fewer runs and won back-to-back games for only the second time this year.
Kremer (3-4) and Michael Wacha (1-4) battled for six scoreless innings before Adley Rutschman led off the Baltimore seventh with a double. O’Hearn followed with a drive to left-center field for his sixth home run of the year.
Emmanuel Rivera, playing because infielder Ramón Urías was scratched with right hamstring tightness, added an RBI single later in the inning.
Kansas City lost for just the second time in 11 games. Bobby Witt Jr. went 0 for 4, ending his 22-game hitting streak, as the Royals were blanked for the fourth time.
Yennier Cano pitched the eighth, and Félix Bautista finished the four-hitter for his sixth save in six chances.
Wacha allowed three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Kansas City turned inning-ending double plays in the first and second, and Kremer got some help in the seventh when shortstop Gunnar Henderson made a nice sliding play on a grounder behind second base.
Royals catcher Salvador Perez did not play because of hip issues. Manager Matt Quatraro said he’s day to day.
Key moment
Kansas City had a man on second with one out in the second when Mark Canha’s comebacker bounced off Kremer to the right side of the infield. First baseman Ryan Mountcastle fielded the ball and flipped it to Kremer, who had hustled over to cover.
After the rare 1-3-1 putout, Kremer retired Drew Waters on a grounder to end the threat.
Key stat
O’Hearn had 131 RBIs in five seasons with Kansas City before being traded to the Orioles for cash before the 2023 season. In two-plus seasons in Baltimore, he’s already driven in 132 runs.
Up next
Kris Bubic (2-2) starts for Kansas City against Baltimore’s Tomoyuki Sugano (3-1) on Saturday night.
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