Bundy likely to get call for start Sunday
Showalter addresses Red Sox’s complaints on handling of rainout
Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy, who faced 10 batters and allowed three home runs before rain washed Wednesday night’s game and his rough start, will get a quick chance to bounce back when he starts Sunday’s series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays.
“He liked the idea when I brought it up to him last night,” manager Buck Showalter said. “I think it’s good for us too, with all the things we’re trying to solve a little bit. He’s had a long period off since the All-Star break. I’d like to get him back out there, not sit around on that for a while. I expect him to pitch good on Sunday.
“He caught a little break last night getting to throw that one out and start over.”
Bundy is starting on the day that would have otherwise belonged to rookie right-hander Yefry Ramírez, who will be pushed to Tuesday with the team off Monday.
“Trying to manage Yefry’s innings and starts that could potentially kind of get in the way of him finishing the season if he stays with us,” Showalter said. “Hopefully, he will. … We’d like for his innings to jump some, just don’t want to get too far ahead.”
Ramírez pitched 1241⁄ innings in 2016 and 2017, and is already at 1001⁄ summerbetweentheOriolesandTriple-ANorfolk. Themost appearances he’s had entering this year were 24, and he’s at 20 now.
Bundywill try to break a string of rough outings since hecameoff the disabled list with an ankle injury earlier this month. Wednesday would have been his fourth straight start with five runs or more allowed, including five total home runs, to say nothing of the three homers the Red Sox hit that were wiped out. Showalter on the weather: Showalter said he didn’t hear directly fromBostonmanagerAlexCoraortheRedSoxabouttheirdispleasure of how Wednesday’s game was handled with rain in the forecast, only finding out Thursday morning because of news reports.
“MLB called the game,” Showalter said. “We don’t control that. If they have a beef, they need to talk to MLB, right? I don’t know. What’s the deal? At least it wasn’t sleeting the whole game. They say play, we play. I see all the diligent, unbelievable work that goes in to trying to predict weather. They do a great job. Last night was a tough one. I was really, if you looked at it coming in, to play two out of three days, what a job done by Nicole [ Sherry] and her crew. They’re looking at the same radar weare. Theycontrol it, MLBandtheumpiresdo. If they say we’re going to call it, we call it.” Cora didn’t hide his feelings late Wednesday night. “I’m annoyed about the whole three-game series,” Cora told reporters, according to MassLive. “Honestly, it was tough. Rick [ Porcello] had to wait for a while in a game with two outs in the first inning where there was a rain delay. It was a tough one. But we’ll turn the page, we’ll show up tomorrow and we’ll do what we do.”
Monday’s game was delayed twice, by 43 and 19 minutes, respectively.
The Red Sox and Orioles will start Wednesday night’s game over Aug. 11 as part of a doubleheader. Santander shelved: Outfielder Anthony Santander, on the disabled list at Double-A Bowie with left knee cellulitis, had been slumping before he last played July 16. He was batting .179 in July, bringing his season line down to .258/.293/.402 in 52 games.
Showalter said Santander’s progress in the minors, after he was optioned once his Rule 5 roster requirements ran out, has been mixed.
“Some good,” Showalter said. “He’s never really played at that level. I think next year is when you’ll really have a feel for what you’ve got.” Around the horn: The Orioles’ Aug. 26 game against the New York Yankees at Camden Yards has been selected for “Sunday Night Baseball” on ESPN and moved to 8:05 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ... Right-hander Cody Carroll, one of three players acquired from the New York Yankees in Tuesday’s trade of closer Zach Britton, struck out two in a scoreless innings in his debut for Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday. … Outfielder Austin Hays (ankle) will begin a rehab assignment today at Short-A Aberdeen. … Outfielder Craig Gentry ( rib) and infielder Steve Wilkerson (oblique) will begin rehab assignments Monday at Low-A Delmarva and in the Gulf Coast League, respectively.