Kremer, Fry end season in minor leagues; Mattson recalled for relief help

The Orioles expected Dean Kremer to be one of their starting pitchers this season, and that Paul Fry would continue to be on the pillars in a strong bullpen.

“It comes back to command,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “To be able to command . in the big leagues, to be able to work ahead of hitters.”

Kremer, who was promising in four late season starts in 2020, began this season as their fifth starter. His season was a disappointment and after recorded just one out and allowing six runs while walking five against Toronto on June 24, he was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.

Hyde thought it was best that Kremer got an extended stay in Triple-A. After a brief option in April, Kremer showed improvement at times, but he wasn’t providing the length the Orioles needed.

Except for a spot start in the first game of the September 11^th doubleheader against the Blue Jays, Kremer has been at Norfolk since late June, and he’ll conclude his season there on Saturday night when he’s scheduled to start against Durham.

Kremer was 0-7 with a 7.55 ERA with the Orioles, and with the Tides, he’s 1-5 with a 5.09 ERA in 16 games, which includes four relief appearances.

“Dean is still a pitching prospect,” Hyde said. “He’s got pitches. He’s got a major league arsenal. He just needs to know how to use them and refine the command of all those pitches to become a starting pitcher in this division, this league.

‘You see the stuff. He’s had some success. He’s had some good starts. To be consistent, to be able to make 30 starts in the big leagues, you need to be able to pitch deeper in the game. You’ve got to be able to throw less pitches per inning. You’ve got to be able to get early outs. You’ve got to be able to put guys away when ahead. That starts with strike one, and that starts with having confidence with all your pitches to throw strikes.”

Fry, who allowed just one earned run in the season’s first month and was considered a possible stretch run pickup for a contender at the July trading deadline, imploded in August and allowed 17 earned runs in seven innings for a 21.86 ERA.

On August 28, the Orioles optioned Fry, who was their most experienced reliever to Norfolk, expecting that he’d be back for the final few weeks of the season.

“Paul Fry had a great first half,” Hyde said. “He had too many walks in the second half. He was behind in the count a lot, and we were hoping to send him to Triple-A to try to pitch in a little bit lower pressure situation, get that feeling back that he had in the first half, and I hope he comes into spring training lights out, like he was in the first half for us. That’s the pitcher that he is.”

Instead, Fry’s struggles have continued at Triple-A, where he has an 8.22 ERA in 10 games, and like Kremer, will end his season in the minor leagues.

Mattson gets the call: Isaac Mattson was recalled from Norfolk for the final series of the season in Toronto. Mattson, who was one of four pitchers the Orioles acquired for Dylan Bundy from the Los Angeles Angels in December 2019, has a 9.00 ERA in three games with the Orioles. At Norfolk, the right-handed Mattson was 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA in 18 games.

Alexander Wells, who was the winning pitcher in Thursday night’s game, was optioned to Norfolk to make room for Mattson.

With Thomas Eshelman starting on Friday night, the move gives the Orioles more depth in the bullpen.