LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV baseball alum Dean Kremer dazzled in his Major League Baseball debut for the Baltimore Orioles Sunday, picking up the win in a 5-1 decision over the New York Yankees.
Coincidentally, Kremer's debut came on the 25th anniversary of Orioles' Hall of Famer Cal Ripken playing in his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking Lou Gehrig's consecutive game streak.
Kremer struck out seven batters and only surrendered one run and one hit in 6.0 innings of work. More impressively, he recorded four 1-2-3 frames and only faced four batters over the minimum. Additionally, he retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced.
The right-handed pitcher from Stockton, California, began the contest with a 12-pitch first inning that resulted in a pair of strikeouts and a line out. He found himself in a bit of trouble an inning later when the Yankees loaded the bases with one out; however, a fielder's choice and a strikeout helped him out of the jam. He returned to form in the third and retired the side in it, the fourth and the fifth innings. In the sixth, he issued a one-out walk, but left the runner stranded when he got Brett Gardner and Clint Frazier to line out and strike out, respectively.
Kremer was notified Saturday evening by Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias that he would be starting Sunday. In mid-July, he was added to Baltimore's 60-man player pool and had been practicing at the team's Double-A affiliate in Bowie, Maryland.
"It's great to see another former Rebel make it," said UNLV baseball head coach
Stan Stolte. "Dean had a great arm, and with his work ethic you knew he was going to get an opportunity to pitch in the big leagues. I'm really happy for him and his family."
As a member of the 2016 Rebel baseball team, Kremer won four games and compiled an ERA of 4.92 in 15 appearances (12 starts) and 82.1 innings of work. He struck out 46 batters against 99 hits, 56 runs (45 earned) and 21 walks. Arguably, his best outing of the year came on the road in the Golden State against Cal State Fullerton where he and Ben Wright combined to shut out the Titans. Kremer managed to strike out a season-best eight batters in a season-high eight innings of work.
MLB FIRSTS: Prior to Sunday, Kremer already held the distinction of being the first Israeli citizen to be drafted by an MLB team after the San Diego Padres selected him in the 38th round in 2015, but with Sunday's start he became the first Israeli citizen to pitch in an MLB game and just the second Israeli citizen to play in an MLB game – Ryan Lavarnway with the Miami Marlins (2020). Kremer has represented Israel's national teams since 2013 and, most recently, played for Team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic alongside Rebel baseball alum Blake Gailen (2006-07).
REBELS IN THE PROS: With Kremer's call up, UNLV baseball now has two alums on 2020 MLB rosters, as Erick Fedde (2012-14) is with the Washington Nationals. Additionally,
Kyle Isbel (2016-18) and
Bryson Stott (2017-19) are members of the Kansas City Royals and Philadelphia Phillies 60-man player pools, respectively, this summer.
