Blue Jays’ offence struggles through slow start
BUNDY STYMIES BLUE JAYS AND ORIOLES HIT TWO HOMERS IN VICTORY
With a year of experience behind him and an additional pitch in his repertoire, Dylan Bundy appears poised to make the next step in his progression to big league ace.
Bundy struck out eight over seven impressive innings, and the Baltimore Orioles used home runs by Adam Jones and Chris Davis to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 Wednesday night.
Making his 15th career start, Bundy (1-0) allowed one run and four hits. The 2011 firstround draft pick did not issue a walk and retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced.
Bundy went 10-6 last year, his first full season in the big leagues. The 24-year-old is being counted on this season to build on that performance, and the right-hander certainly did not disappoint in his 2017 debut.
Because Bundy was coming off elbow and shoulder injuries, the Orioles had him put his slider on the shelf last year. It’s back in play now and was a huge factor against the Blue Jays.
“The slider was a good pitch for me tonight,” Bundy said. “There were more righthanders in the lineup tonight, so I was using that a little bit more. I was happy with it.”
Orioles manager Buck Showalter said, “When you give them three different looks and they have to honour three different pitches — really four tonight — you like your chances.”
Brad Brach pitched the eighth and Zach Britton got three outs to earn his first save and seal the two-game sweep. After Toronto loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, Britton got former Oriole Steve Pearce to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play.
Jones hit a two-run drive in the third inning and Davis added a solo shot in the fourth. Both homers were off J.A. Happ, who went 20-4 last year — including 2-0 against the Orioles.
“The home run to Jones, I felt like I made my pitch. He kind of got his hands in there,” Happ said. “And then, just trying to be aggressive, Davis got me on the first pitch.”
Happ (0-1) struck out nine in seven innings. The left-hander gave up five hits and walked none.
“Overall, I was throwing a lot of strikes,” Happ said. “That’s a good sign.”
Bundy retired the first seven batters before Toronto used three straight singles — the last by Devon Travis — to take a 1-0 lead in the third. With runners on the corners, Bundy struck out Josh Donaldson and retired Jose Bautista on a line drive to first base.
Jones connected with a runner on in the bottom half. It was his 223rd home run with Baltimore, tying him with Rafael Palmeiro for fifth place on the team list.
INDIANS 9, RANGERS 6
Francisco Lindor hit a goahead grand slam off closer Sam Dyson in the ninth inning and the defending AL champion Cleveland Indians completed a season-opening sweep with a victory over the Texas Rangers.
It was Lindor’s first career slam and second homer of the game.
RED SOX 3, PIRATES 0, 12 INNINGS
Sandy Leon hit a three-run homer in the 12th inning — his third hit of the game — and Chris Sale pitched seven dominant innings in his Boston debut.
Leon also doubled in the third inning but got thrown out at the plate after running through third base coach Brian Butterfield’s stop sign. It was scoreless into the bottom of the 12th, when Antonio Bastardo (0-1) walked Jackie Bradley Jr. and Pablo Sandoval with one out.
BRAVES 3, METS 1, 12 INNINGS
Bartolo Colon drew all sorts of nods, taps and tributes in his return to Citi Field during a sharp debut for Atlanta, and Matt Kemp’s third double of the game in the 12th inning led the Braves over New York.
Kemp’s two-out, basesloaded liner off Rafael Montero (0-1) gave Atlanta its first win of the season.
NATIONALS 6, MARLINS 4
Bryce Harper had two RBIs and a nice ninth-inning catch, Ryan Zimmerman homered and Tanner Roark recovered from a shaky start to go six innings, leading Washington past Miami.
Roark (1-0) allowed two runs in the first inning, then hit two men and threw a wild pitch in the second, but he wound up retiring 13 of the last 14 batters he faced.
Blake Treinen pitched the ninth for his second save.
RAYS 4, YANKEES 1
Corey Dickerson homered and drove in two runs to lead Tampa Bay over New York.
Alex Cobb (1-0) pitched into the sixth inning, continuing his comeback from Tommy John surgery that sidelined him most of the past two seasons.