Bundy delivers 2nd straight rocky start
Struggling since return from DL, O’s starter unravels in 3rd inning
Before rolling his left ankle rounding third base in Atlanta three weeks ago, Dylan Bundy had found his rhythm on the mound, a bright spot in the Orioles’ lost season. But since returning from his brief stint on the disabled list, the Orioles right-hander hasn’t looked right.
It’s been just two starts since his return, but Bundy logged his second straight head-scratching outing, lasting just four innings in the Orioles’ 9-0 loss to the New York Yankees on Wednesday night at Camden Yards in front of an announced 17,808.
The Orioles (26-67) entered the night with the opportunity to take just their second four-game home series win of the season, but instead were dealt their ninth shutout loss of the season.
Bundy was felled by a five-run third inning, a 39-pitch frame that was capped by Greg Bird’s two-out grand slam to right field. After lasting just four innings Wednesday, Bundy has recorded two of his three shortest starts in his past two appearances.
For the second straight start, Bundy unraveled quickly. In his previous start in Minnesota five days ago, he fell behind by three runs four batters into the game. And on Wednesday, Bundy allowed all five runs in the fifth with two outs, and all five batters who reached base in that inning did so on two-strike counts.
After posting six straight quality starts before going on the DL, posting a 2.55 ERA and holding opponents to a .203 batting average over that stretch, Bundy has allowed 10 earned runs on 19 base runners over his past two starts spanning 7 innings.
While there’s nothing to indicate anything wrong with Bundy physically since his return, it’s clear something hasn’t been right in his past two outings, especially with his control and his inability to put hitters away.
The Yankees’ big inning off Bundy began with a seven-pitch walk to Brett Gardner in a plate appearance in which Bundy couldn’t put Gardner Orioles third baseman Tim Beckham walks past umpire Jim Reynolds and Yankees catcher Austin Romine after striking out during the third inning. away despite four two-strike pitches. He allowed a single to Aaron Judge on an 0-2 count that put runners at the corners.
He erased the lead runner when he fielded Didi Gregorius’ grounder and threw home to nab Gardner, but allowed an RBI single to Giancarlo Stanton on an 0-2 count and walked Aaron Hicks on six pitches to load the bases for Bird.
Bundy worked ahead of Bird, who saw most of Bundy’s arsenal — four-seam fastballs, changeups and sliders — while fouling off four two-strike pitches before tagging a hanging curveball off the right-field foul pole to put the Yankees up 5-0.
The Yankees fouled off 19 of Bundy’s 91 pitches, including his fastball nine times.
Meanwhile, the Orioles offense couldn’t solve struggling Yankees starter Sonny Gray, who entered the night with his rotation spot in jeopardy. Gray owned a 5.85 ERA and was unable to get out of the third inning in his previous two starts.
But Gray held the Orioles to three hits over six scoreless innings, recording his third quality start against the Orioles in as many appearances this season. He has just five quality starts in his other 15 starts this season.