BALTIMORE (AP) — Dean Kremer took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Gunnar Henderson hit his 36th home run and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 Friday night to remain atop the AL East.

Baltimore holds a half-game lead over the New York Yankees, who blanked the Chicago Cubs earlier Friday. The Orioles have 20 games left in the regular season and New York has 21 to go.

“Coming down the stretch, every game is important,” Kremer said. “We’re just trying to win every one.”

Kremer lost his no-hit bid when rookie Junior Caminero led off the seventh with a sharp single to left field. Dylan Carlson then grounded a single to right. After Josh Lowe reached on an error to load the bases with no outs, Kremer was pulled by manager Brandon Hyde with Baltimore nursing a 2-0 lead.

Yennier Cano quelled the threat by striking out Jonny DeLuca and José Caballero before retiring Ben Rortvedt on a popup.

“My adrenaline was pumping at 100 percent there,” Cano said through an interpreter. “Obviously, that was a defining moment in the game, so I was really happy to help the team right there.”

Kremer (7-9) walked three and struck out seven. The right-hander was making his first start since Aug. 31, when he was forced out of the game after being struck on the right forearm with a line drive.

“I can still see the seams where it hit him,” Hyde said a few hours before Kremer took the mound against the Rays.

Afterward, Kremer said, “It hurt and it’s stiff now, but it is what it is.”

Losing his no-hit bid was not necessarily a major disappointment.

“Disappointment is the wrong word,” Kremer said. “No hitters are rare. You usually give it up in the first inning, so you never usually think about it. You just move on.”

Seranthony Domínguez got the final four outs to complete the three-hitter and earn his ninth save, the eighth since coming to Baltimore in a late-July trade with the Phillies. He ended it by inducing a popup from Rortvedt with runners on second and third.

Shane Baz (2-3) allowed two hits and one earned run over six innings for the Rays. Baltimore scored an unearned run in the fifth before Henderson hit a solo shot to right in the sixth, his third home run in five games this month.

“I definitely won’t complain about what Shane Baz did tonight. An outstanding effort on his part,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Unfortunately, their guy was just as good and kind of went toe-to-toe. That’s why you had a low-scoring game.”

Tampa Bay has lost six of nine overall and is 2-9 against Baltimore this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: 2B Brandon Lowe was held out with a swollen middle finger on his right hand. “Right now, every little swing is aggravating him, so we’re not sure how long it’s going to take,” manager Kevin Cash said.

Orioles: INF Ramón Urías (sprained ankle) is off crutches and “making huge strides” in his bid to return in late September, Hyde said. … 1B Ryan Mountcastle (wrist) is hitting off a tee, but “still not coming along the way we were hoping,” Hyde said. … INF Jordan Westburg (hand) is engaging in some baseball activities but not yet swinging a bat. … The Orioles are trying to determine if reliever Jacob Webb (elbow) needs another rehab start before coming off the IL.

UP NEXT

Zach Eflin (10-7, 3.60 ERA) faces the Rays on Saturday for the second time since being dealt from Tampa Bay to Baltimore on July 26. He’s 5-0 in five starts with the Orioles. Ryan Pepiot (7-6, 3.76) starts for the Rays.

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