Bundy falters in 6th as Orioles lose Rockies 3-1
BALTIMORE (AP) - For five innings, Dylan Bundy showed why the Baltimore Orioles have long considered him to be their top pitching prospect.
Although things came apart in the sixth inning of a 3-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night, the Orioles took consolation in knowing the right-hander added another significant step in his development as a big leaguer.
Bundy (3-3) retired the first 16 batters before issuing a walk to Mark Reynolds. That brought another former Oriole to the plate, Nick Hundley, who launched a 1-2 pitch into the left-field seats for a 2-0 lead.
Two batters later, David Dahl chased Bundy with his first major league home run.
"Just two mistakes, changeups that were up in the zone and they were able to tag them for homers," the 23-year-old Bundy said. "Maybe just a little more focus or location a little bit better in the sixth inning and you get out of that with six innings pitched and no harm done."
Making his third major league start, Bundy went deeper into a game than ever before and notched a career-high eight strikeouts.
"Dylan was really good," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Got to get into another inning that he hadn't been into, got to throw a couple more pitches than he'd thrown."
Unfortunately for the Orioles, Colorado rookie right-hander Jon Gray (7-4) was even better, allowing only one run and five hits over seven innings.
"We knew coming in that he was good," Showalter said of Gray. "He pounded the ball, a lot on the inner half."
After Manny Machado hit his 21st homer in the sixth, Baltimore didn't get another runner into scoring position.
Adam Ottavino and Boone Logan worked the eighth for the Rockies and Carlos Estevez got three straight outs for his 10th save, tops among major league rookies.
The AL East-leading Orioles fell to 37-16 at home after dropping successive games at Camden Yards for the first time since May 30-31.
Early in the game, Baltimore missed two opportunities to jump on top.
After the Orioles loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, Gray retired major league home run leader Mark Trumbo on a popup before Jonathan Schoop hit a fly ball to center.
Baltimore also wasted a leadoff double by Matt Wieters in the fifth.
STREAK BREAKER
Orioles slugger Chris Davis snapped an 0-for-24 skid with a bunt down the third-base line against the shift. He also walked and struck out twice.
"It's there to him," Showalter said of the bunt. "We talked to him about it. It's one thing to do it. It's another thing to execute it. It's not easy when a guy's throwing 96, 97, to step up there and bunt a ball over there."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: Hyun Soo Kim was back in the lineup for the second consecutive game after being activated from the DL on Tuesday. Kim started in the left field and has not shown any lingering effects from a strained right hamstring.
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (5-9, 7.38), who returned from paternity leave Tuesday, will start Thursday's makeup game from a May 9 postponement in Minnesota. While Jimenez has struggled this season, he is 5-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 10 career games (nine starts) against the Twins.