Monday night Orioles game thread: at Cleveland, 7:10

It happened quick, but June has gone from a dream to a nightmare in less than a week. The Orioles enter tonight on a four-game losing streak overall and losers of 15 straight road games. That is the result being both bad and unlucky. But with more than three months to go until the end of the season rest assured that the Orioles will win another game away from home. It might not be this specific game, but it will happen.

Dean Kremer gets the call to start on the mound for the Birds in this one. The 25-year-old has spent the last three weeks in Triple-A Norfolk, where he made two starts and allowed four earned runs while striking out 14 over 8.2 innings. It’s not the prettiest of stat lines, but for the pitching strapped Orioles it is more than enough to get a shot here.

As bad as the starting pitching has been for the O’s as of late, the offense has been just as poor. They have scored more than two runs just once over this four-game stretch. That wouldn’t be good enough on any team, let alone one with the thin starting staff of the O’s.

Perhaps the release of the first round of All-Star voting today will light a fire under the likes of Cedric Mullins, Trey Mancini, and Freddy Galvis. If the Midsummer Classic were today, none of them would be starting. That could change if one (or all) of them gets going over the next two weeks.

Orioles Starting Lineup

1. Cedric Mullins, CF
2. Trey Mancini, DH
3. Anthony Santander, RF
4. DJ Stewart, LF
5. Freddy Galvis, SS
6. Ryan Mountcastle, 1B
7. Pedro Severino, C
8. Stevie Wilkerson, 2B
9. Pat Valaika, 3B

RHP Dean Kremer (0-5, 6.87 ERA)

Cleveland Starting Lineup

1. Cesar Hernandez, 2B
2. Amed Rosario, SS
3. José Ramirez, 3B
4. Eddie Rosario, DH
5. Bobby Bradley, 1B
6. Harold Ramirez, LF
7. Josh Naylor, RF
8. René Rivera, C
9. Bradley Zimmer, CF

RHP Jean Carlos Mejía (1-1, 4.15 ERA)