Bundy back in form; O’s end losing skid at 6

Dylan Bundy finally got his groove back. The Orioles right-hander — whose season had spun out of control over his previous 11 outings going into Thursday night — had been searching for answers.

He’d talked repeatedly about the need to locate his fastball better. But after his most recent start, in Tampa Bay last Friday night, before saying his frustration level had reached its limit — 10 out of 10, in his words — he added that he needed to start throwing his pitches with more conviction. And that was the Bundy who suddenly re-emerged Thursday night against the contending Oakland Athletics, a confident pitcher able to use multiple weapons to avoid a big inning and remain in control of a game.

“Yeah, [it was] a lot different,” Bundy said. “I had a clue where it was going now … just the conviction in the pitch and believing in yourself and [knowing] that it was the right pitch. I think that was the biggest thing Tonight, 7:05 p.m. TV: MASN Radio: 105.7 FM tonight.”

In steering the Orioles to a 5-3 win over the Athletics — a winthat avoided a three-gamesweep, endedasix-gamelosing streak and halted a stretch of 10 losses in 11 games — Bundy looked more like the pitcher whoranout to a quick start to the season in this year’s first month rather than the one who plodded through most of the second half.

“Dylan’s got a different moxie, I’m telling you, than a lot of people you come across,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “Some players are like Forrest Gump and the box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get. You know at some point he’s going to get back on the horse. This one has been, quite frankly, a little longer than I’ve seen from him. We’ll see what the next one brings. But he always has a purpose and has the want-to and everything. Just really as happy for him as the team getting a ‘W’ because I know he’s been beating himself up.”

Going into this start, there was some question whether it might be Bundy's last of the season. Despite wanting to find a way for him to end this season on a positive note, the club wondered whether he might be too tired to do so.

It helped Thursdaythat the Orioles (42-104) gave himalead early, using somefirst-inning small ball to create a2-0cushion.

Bundy recorded his first quality start since Aug. 4, holding the Athletics (89-57) to two runs on six hits over six innings. Hestruck out eight and walked none, a dramatic shift from his previous start, when he walked a season-high five batters.

Bundy (8-14), who had an 8.83 ERA over his previous 11 starts, earned his first win since July 29 at Tampa Bay.

“I just thought [it was] the conviction with all the pitches,” Bundy said. “I think that kind of madethema little bit sharper, slider, curveball was all playing to that right-handed lineup they had tonight. … Belief and believing in myself in every single pitch for however many pitches I throw, knowing that pitch you’re calling, the one you’re going to throw to that batter is the right one every time.”