Bundy ‘ready to go’ after sharp outing
O’s Opening Day starter makes final appearance in Grapefruit League
SARASOTA, FLA. – Right-hander Dylan Bundy enjoyed a productive final spring training tune-up Friday afternoon before his Opening Day start, holding the Tampa Bay Rays to one run on five hits over five innings in a 6-1 Orioles win.
Bundy, who was tabbed to start the Orioles’ season opener Thursday against the Minnesota Twins at Camden Yards, had a rocky spring training in terms of results, having entered his final spring start with a 9.00 ERA and allowing five runs in three of his four Grapefruit League outings.
“Dylan was good,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “We’re going to shorten those guys up their last outing. But that was good. He’s ready to go. Being asked about starting Opening Day didn’t seem to bother him too much. That was his best fastball this spring, I thought. Usually you see veteran guys kind of dial it up toward the end. Dylan presents that veteran look sometimes.”
But on Friday, Bundy limited the damage well. Three of his six strikeouts came with runners in scoring position.
He allowed his only run in the third inning when Mallex Smith hit an opposite-field triple to the leftfield warning track that left fielder Trey Mancini couldn’t corral.
Smith then scored on Kean Wong’s infield single, a ball that first baseman Chris Davis deflected to second baseman Jonathan Schoop while making a diving attempt, but Bundy didn’t make it to the first base bag before Wong.
Bundy was able to stifle the Rays from there. After Wong stole second base, Bundy struck out Daniel Robertson and Brad Miller to end the inning.
In the second inning, Bundy also stranded Johnny Field at second base with a strikeout of Micah Johnson to end that frame. Bundy erased a leadoff baserunner in the fifth by picking Johnson off first base.