Inside The Orioles

Baltimore Orioles Announce Starting Pitching Change for Finale Against Detroit Tigers

The Baltimore Orioles are no longer starting Dean Kremer against the Detroit Tigers.

Kenneth Teape

May 4, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Keegan Akin (45) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the sixth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
May 4, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Keegan Akin (45) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the sixth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
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The Baltimore Orioles are set to host the Detroit Tigers in the rubber match of their three-game series on Thursday evening.

After losing Game 1 5-3, the Orioles bounced back in a big way on Wednesday, defeating the MLB-leading Tigers by a score of 10-1.

Baltimore has a tall task ahead of them to take the series, facing off against reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, who has been even more dominant in 2025.

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Originally, it was Dean Kremer who was scheduled to face off against Skubal, but the Orioles announced a change on Thursday morning.

Instead of Kremer, the team will be going with Keegan Akin as an opener, per Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun on X.

The lefty has been a reliable relief pitcher for Baltimore this season, making 30 appearances overall with a strong 2.89 ERA across 28 innings with 31 strikeouts. He has struggled a little bit with walks at times, owning a 4.5 BB/9 ratio, but it hasn’t deterred him too much from finding success.

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This will be the third time this season that Akin is starting a game for the team.

It is a bit of a surprise to see the Orioles going with an opener in place of Kremer, who has made all 13 of his starts this season.

107 out of his 108 Major League appearances have been as a starter, so this will be somewhat of a foreign situation for Kremer.

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Hopefully, he is just being used as a bulk inning relief behind Akin in a tactical change to try and keep the Tigers off balance, and there isn’t an ailment or injury that he is dealing with.

Baltimore is already dealing with enough injuries to their pitching staff; they don’t need to handle another with Kremer.

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Kenneth Teape
KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.

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