Orioles' rally not enough as Craig Kimbrel stumbles again in 7-5 loss to Rockies

DENVER — The Baltimore Orioles were bruised, kicked and knocked down Saturday night, losing two players to injury and falling behind on a pair of three-run deficits. They rallied to tie the game but couldn’t complete the comeback as Craig Kimbrel’s struggles resurfaced in a 7-5 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

Baltimore lost starting pitcher Dean Kremer to injury in the fourth inning, when Rockies right fielder Jordan Beck hit a 103.1 mph comebacker off the right-hander’s forearm. Kremer was later diagnosed with a right forearm contusion and X-rays came back negative for a fracture — a positive development after a large welt was visible on his arm — but it did put an early end to his evening and force manager Brandon Hyde to turn to his bullpen for 5 2/3 innings.

Ramón Urías also had two close calls at the plate with pitches up and in. He dodged the first offering by Ryan Feltner in the third, but two innings later another pitch from the Rockies starter glanced off his nose. Urías was shaken up but remained in the game. Yet as lucky as he was to avoid a more serious injury there, he still ended up having to leave the game in the seventh when shortstop Ezequiel Tovar slid into his ankle stealing third base.

All the while, the Orioles (78-59) had to overcome early holes of 3-0 and 5-2. Kremer wasn’t as sharp over the first three frames as he had been for most of August, allowing three runs in the second inning on an RBI single by second baseman Brendon Rogers and catcher Drew Romo’s two-run double on a bloop to shallow left field. The Orioles responded with two runs in the top half of the fourth.

The Orioles stayed within striking distance thanks to Anthony Santander, who hit a two-run home run for his 39th long ball of the season. He moved with one long ball of becoming the eighth player in Orioles history to hit 40 home runs in a season and the first since Mark Trumbo blasted 47 in 2018.

Colorado got its two-run lead back against Akin, who began his appearance with a walk, a wild pitch and a two-run triple by designated hitter Charlie Blackmon. But the Orioles would rally once again the following frame. Eloy Jiménez hit his first home run since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline with a 441-foot solo shot to center field. They then loaded the bases and Ryan O’Hearn cashed in with a two-run single to tie the game.

Baltimore’s bullpen then rattled off three consecutive scoreless innings. Burch Smith and Gregory Soto each handled full frames — with the latter extending his scoreless-appearance streak to eight in a row — before Cionel Pérez and Yennier Cano combined for a clean seventh. Colorado’s relief corps responded in turn, putting the game on Kimbrel’s shoulders in the eighth.

Kimbrel picked up a strikeout to begin the inning, but left fielder Nolan Jones doubled and came around to score on an RBI single by Beck, who advanced to second on the throw. Beck then stole third base and scored on an RBI groundout for an insurance run.

The Orioles had a chance to tie it in the bottom of the ninth when Adley Rutschman came to the plate with runners on the corners and two outs, but he struck out on a check swing to end the game.

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