The Orioles welcomed Samuel Basallo to his first homestand at Camden Yards with a $67 million contract.

In the start to his second homestand Friday night, the 21-year-old gave a taste of what the team paid for.

Basallo slammed a home run to the deep center-field seats in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs — his first career homer at Camden Yards — to seal a 2-1 victory over the L.A. Dodgers, just the second walk-off win for the Orioles this season.

Late-game comebacks have been relatively sparse for Baltimore (65-76), which celebrated the team’s first walk-off dinger since Anthony Santander knocked one a year ago. The water-cooler-pouring celebration at home came at the cost of former Oriole Tanner Scott, who had struck out two and had the chance to force extra innings.

Basallo has been struggling since being promoted last month and has seen many games end with long talks with bench coach Robinson Chirinos, himself a former catcher. But the Orioles see a future with Basallo’s power, and on Friday night it felt like the future had arrived.

“I’ve been dreaming of that moment my whole life,” Basallo said. “And I hope many more will come.”

The enthralling finish was a needed splash of joy after starter Dean Kremer exited early in a pitching showdown with reigning MVP Shohei Ohtani.

Kremer entered Friday night in search of a quality start after getting drilled for 13 combined earned runs in his last two appearances. From a game-opening strikeout of Ohtani on a diving curveball, Kremer set a confident tone that has been streakily reached throughout a hot-and-cold campaign.

But after just three innings — during which he struck out four, walked one and gave up no hits — Kremer began to grimace as he walked off the field and spoke with a team trainer. He did not return with what the Orioles called “right forearm discomfort.”

Interim manager Tony Mansolino said he heard from Kremer in the hallway that the pitcher thought his injury was mild. Mansolino said the training staff’s concern level was low.

But forearm strains can be a spooky injury for pitchers, and serious ones can be the precursors to elbow surgery, an ominous omen for a pitching staff that has been ravaged by injuries going back to 2023.

Kyle Bradish recently returned from Tommy John surgery, while Grayson Rodriguez hasn’t pitched for the Orioles since July 2024. In August, former All-Star closer Felix Bautista had season-ending shoulder surgery, his second major procedure in two years.

The 29-year-old Kremer — whom the Orioles got in a deal with the Dodgers for Manny Machado — leads the starting rotation with 158 1/3 innings this season, and he threw over 100 pitches in three starts during August.

Depending on the severity of Kremer’s injury, it could be the most consequential result for the Orioles of Friday night’s game. But the contest was shaped by far more injuries than just Kremer’s.

Ohtani was a late addition to the schedule as starting pitcher, which manager Dave Roberts said was due to planned starter Tyler Glasnow reporting back soreness in the early afternoon. The Dodgers had to deal with their own in-game injury, too, when starting catcher Dalton Rushing fouled a ball into his right knee and crumpled to home plate. He was carried off the field, replaced by Ben Rortvedt.

For a game of attrition, both teams played tight defense early. It took a wild pitch for the first score — Rushing lost the ball during an Orioles double steal, on which Jackson Holliday veered around the third-base corner to slide in under Ben Casparius’ tag.

“Just kind of felt right, I guess. Maybe it was an instinct kind of thing,” Holliday said. “Saw the ball bounce up. He had had a few of those where he kind of lost it, so I just went for it.”

The 1-0 lead was short-lived. In the top of the next inning, Freddie Freeman walloped a first-pitch fastball from Dietrich Enns over the deepest part of the center-field wall.

The upbeat note of the ending was fitting for an Orioles squad that is celebrating Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. on Saturday on the 30th anniversary of his record-breaking 2,131st consecutive game. The club is also getting healthier, announcing upcoming rehab assignments for catcher Gary Sánchez and outfielder Tyler O’Neill.

Mansolino has been pleased with both of the latest big prospect promotions. Rookie Dylan Beavers has been hitting well since being called up a day before Basallo. Mansolino has seen many of the Orioles’ top prospects struggle in the crosshairs of their own hype and big league pitching.

“These two kids who have come up this year have probably been the most numb to it, for some reason,” Mansolino said. “I don’t know why, but they’ve been incredibly calm, and they’re pretty talented players so we’re very excited about them both.”

This article has been updated.