Kremer sharp in his return as the Orioles avoid a sweep with a 6-1 win over the White Sox

BALTIMORE (AP) — Dean Kremer pitched six impressive innings in his return from a quad injury, and the Baltimore Orioles avoided a sweep Wednesday with a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Kremer (1-1) allowed a run and four hits, and Tyler O’Neill homered in Baltimore’s four-run fifth. Noah Schultz (2-5) no-hit the Orioles for four innings but retired only one more batter before being pulled.

Leody Taveras also went deep for Baltimore.

Sam Antonacci led off the game with a home run off Kremer, who was pitching for the first time since April 18. The AL Central-leading White Sox, who had taken the first two games of the series, didn’t do much more after that big swing.

O’Neill — who made a diving catch in right field with two on and two out in the fourth — tied it at 1 with a drive to left in the fifth. After a strikeout and a walk, Blaze Alexander hit a single. That was it for Schultz, who had gone through the order twice.

Bryan Hudson came on and allowed a single to Gunnar Henderson that loaded the bases, then Adley Rutschman hit an RBI single and Taylor Ward added a sacrifice fly.

Trevor Richards replaced Hudson and threw a wild pitch that allowed Henderson to score.

Alexander’s RBI triple in the sixth made it 5-1, and Taveras homered in the eighth.

Barely two weeks after returning from the injured list, Baltimore reliever Ryan Helsley was unable to enter the game because of elbow discomfort.

The Orioles optioned right-hander Trey Gibson — the starter in Tuesday night’s loss — and left-hander Josh Walker to Triple-A Norfolk before the game. They reinstated Kremer from the injured list and recalled right-hander Cameron Weston from Norfolk.

Former Oriole Bobby Bonilla attended the game, which was fitting since some baseball fans refer to July 1 as “Bobby Bonilla Day” in honor of the deferred money he’s been owed on that day, most famously by the Mets.

Up next

The White Sox play at Cleveland on Thursday night. Davis Martin (9-3) takes the mound for Chicago against Slade Cecconi (4-6).

Baltimore is off before starting a series at Cincinnati on Friday night. Trevor Rogers (5-7) starts for the Orioles.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb