Orioles' Povich throws six scoreless innings

Cade Povich gave Baltimore six scoreless innings on August 4, helping the Orioles beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-1 at Camden Yards in their first game after the trade deadline. Pete Alonso supplied the key hit with a two-run single in the third inning, and Tyler O’Neill added a pinch-hit solo homer in the eighth. The victory came four days after Baltimore traded right-hander Dean Kremer to the Minnesota Twins and one day after the club’s deadline moves were complete. Baltimore president of baseball operations Mike Elias used both a clubhouse meeting and a television interview to tell players and fans the Orioles were still chasing a playoff berth. ### How did Povich end up in this start? Cade Povich was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to take the rotation spot vacated by Kremer, MLB.com reported. The left-hander responded with six shutout innings against Los Angeles, a start that came as Baltimore adjusted to a roster reshaped at the deadline. Dean Kremer was traded to Minnesota on July 31 for outfield prospect Jhomnardo Reyes. (mlb.com) Kremer, 30, had been with Baltimore since 2020 and made 130 starts for the club over seven seasons, giving the move weight inside the clubhouse beyond its roster impact. ### What changed for Baltimore after the deadline? Mike Elias told the MASN broadcast during Tuesday’s game, “We are not rebuilding the team,” according to MLB.com. (mlb.com) He said Baltimore still had “a very strong, competitive team” in the majors and “a very full Minor League system again,” while pushing back on the idea that the Orioles had abandoned their 2026 season. (mlb.com) Hours before first pitch, Elias and manager Craig Albernaz held a team meeting in the clubhouse to address the deadline fallout. Pete Alonso later said the message was, “Still believe in you guys, you guys are still a great team,” and added that the expectation remained “to go to the playoffs and still go on a run.” ### Where did the runs come from in a low-scoring game? (mlb.com) Pete Alonso broke through in the third inning after Baltimore loaded the bases with no outs against Angels starter Grayson Rodriguez. Alonso’s one-out single to center scored two runs and gave the Orioles the cushion they needed in a game dominated by pitching. Tyler O’Neill added Baltimore’s final run with a pinch-hit solo home run in the eighth. (mlb.com) The Orioles finished with a 3-1 win in a game that lasted 2 hours, 20 minutes and drew an announced crowd of 18,585. ### What stood out in Povich’s outing? Povich delivered one of the most efficient starts of his major league career. MLB.com said it was the third time in his 43-game MLB career that he worked at least six scoreless innings, and the first time he had done so since September 3, 2024. (mlb.com) MLB’s game story also credited Povich with two pickoffs, of Denzer Guzman in the fourth and Wade Meckler in the fifth. (mlb.com) The league’s game log said he became the first Orioles pitcher to pick off two baserunners in one game since Brian Matusz on April 8, 2010. ### How are the Orioles framing the stretch run now? Craig Albernaz referred before the game to a “50-game sprint,” MLB.com reported, as Baltimore tried to reset after the deadline. (mlb.com) The Orioles improved to 55-58 with the win and sat 1 1/2 games behind the third American League wild-card spot, according to MLB.com’s account of the game. (mlb.com) Baltimore’s series against the Angels continues at Camden Yards this week. The club’s next steps will come with Povich back in the rotation, Kremer in Minnesota, and Elias publicly insisting the Orioles still expect to contend for a postseason berth. (mlb.com)