Bundy, O’s bullpen rocked
Mets produce 9-run sixth inning thanks to four walks, hit batter
One of the Orioles’ ugliest innings of the season wasn’t entirely a result of the New York Mets assembling a hit parade. A significant part of it was self-inflicted.
The Mets scored nine runs — sending 12 batters to the plate — in the sixth inning of the Orioles’ 16-5 interleague loss at Camden Yards on Wednesday night, an inning that also included four walks and a hit batter by Orioles pitchers.
Yes, the Mets posted four extrabase hits in the frame, capped by Kevin Plawecki’s grand slam off newly acquired right-hander Evan Phillips, but all five batters who received free passes scored.
The Mets, who entered the night ranked 14th of the 15 NL clubs in runs scored, are no offensive juggernaut, but on Wednesday, they capitalized on the Orioles’ command issues in their big sixth inning.
Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy was the first of four pitchers in the inning, chased from the game after hitting Plawecki with one out, then allowing a double by José Reyes.
Left-hander Tanner Scott entered and allowed both runs to score on Brandon Nimmo’s triple, a tailing line drive that left fielder Trey Mancini misjudged and made a failed lunging attempt on. Scott allowed Nimmo to score on a wild pitch and walked two of the next three batters he faced.
Phillips, who was sent to Triple-A Norfolk after the game, couldn’t find the zone after that, allowing a two-run double to Todd Frazier on a ball to the left-center field warning track that center fielder Cedric Mullins couldn’t corral. He then surrendered backto-back walks to load the bases, repeatedly missing high in the zone, before throwing a 2-1 fastball over the heart of the plate that Plawecki hit into the left-field seats for a grand slam.
Sean Gilmartin finally got out of the inning, inducing Reyes to popout to shortstop TimBeckham.
As ugly as it was, the nine-run inning wasn’t the most the Orioles allowed in one inning this season. They allowed 10 runs in the first inning of a 15-7 loss to the Kansas City Royals on May 8. In that game, which was also started by Bundy, he allowed four homers in the first inning without recording an out.
Bundy was responsible for most of the Orioles’ big early deficit, allowing seven runs on 11 hits before turning the game over to the bullpen and watching the game get out of reach.
He’s now allowed five earned runs or more in five of his past seven starts, a span in which Bundy has an 8.33 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP, causing his season ERA to jump almost a full run from 4.03 to 4.99.