BALTIMORE—After a crisp performance featuring effective pitching and home runs by Chris Davis and Adam Jones in the same game for the first time in nearly a year, the Orioles had a sobering experience.
In their first three games against the New York Mets this season, the Orioles held them to four runs, winning all three.
On Wednesday night, the Mets easily bettered that in the sixth inning alone.
The Orioles entered the sixth trailing, 5-1. By the time the inning was over, the Mets had scored nine runs on just four hits on their way to a 16-5 win. The Orioles are 36-85.
Starting pitcher Dylan Bundy allowed seven runs and 11 hits, equaling his career high, in 5 1/3 innings.
In his last seven starts since rolling an ankle while running the bases in Atlanta June 23, Bundy has allowed five or more earned runs in five of them. Bundy has given up 14 earned runs in his last two starts, and his ERA has risen to 4.99.
Manager Buck Showalter doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with Bundy, although his season began going south after the ankle injury.
“If you see his work days and the things that he does between starts physically, it would be hard to paint that picture,” Showalter said.
“Certainly you look at those things and you’re very aware of it, especially when you have that history with him and know when he’s good. An extended period where he hasn’t pitched like we know Dylan can. It’s frustrating for him.
“You can see it. He gets into a sequence when he’s got the right pitch to throw and he can’t get it where he needs to and now the count gets to where he has to give in, somewhat. And he hasn’t carried that three-pitch mix in a while.”
Bundy says there’s nothing wrong with him physically.
“I feel fine,” Bundy said. “I made some good pitches tonight and they were just able to find some holes out there. I left a few pitches up in the zone, and they were able to get me.”
Bundy hasn’t seen anything in common with his difficult starts.
“This game, I couldn’t really see too much,” Bundy said. “I looked at the pitches on video and most of them were right where I wanted them to go. I’ve just got to keep looking at video and find out where I’m going wrong.”
Bullpen woes
The Orioles used five relievers: Tanner Scott, Evan Phillips, Sean Gilmartin, Cody Carroll and Mike Wright. They combined to allow nine runs.
Phillips had the roughest time. He didn’t retire any of the four batters he faced, and all scored on Kevin Plawecki’s grand slam. Phillips, who has a 21.60 ERA, was sent to Triple-A Norfolk after the game.
Showalter needed three relievers — Scott, Phillips and Gilmartin — to navigate the sixth. Only Gilmartin wasn’t scored upon.
“We’ve got some guys trying to pitch through some inexperience and paying a tough price sometimes,” Showalter said. “The tough ones survive it. I thought Carroll was better tonight. Evan couldn’t stop the bleeding there, and it was a struggle for us in the pitching department all the way around for the most part.”
The Mets set a season high with 16 runs.
“They were a completely different hitting club than they were last night, which tells you we pitched a whole lot better last night with the personnel we had out there,” Showalter said.
Wynns getting more work
Catcher Austin Wynns has been getting more time behind the plate. He’s started four of the last six games.
Wynns has impressed Showalter. “I don’t want him to sit around too long,” he said. “He’s in a pretty good place right now, and I don’t want him to sit on it. We’ve got tomorrow off again, and I want to keep him in the flow. He’s swinging the bat OK, and he’s growing some as a catcher. Just want to keep him in the flow.”
He was 2-for-4 with an RBI and is batting .298 in 21 games.
“That’s not really my concern at all,” Wynns said. “Defense is what I go by, and we have to find a way.”
Showalter said he’s done his job defensively.
“He’s picking up a lot of things about pitching and our pitchers, and the only way to do it is to get him out there,” Showalter said. “He’s presented himself well. It’s the old thing, you play better you play more. He’s done well.”
Valencia Released
The Orioles released Danny Valencia after designating him for assignment Friday when they added Cedric Mullins. They tried to find a trade for him before the July 31 deadline, and again this month, but there were no takers.
Valencia hit .263 with nine homers and 28 RBIs in 78 games.
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I live in the New York media market and I watched the Mets feed for the game. Keith Hernandez did a lengthy comparison of Bundy’s delivery to Wheeler’s, pointing out several subtle but perhaps significant flaws in Bundy’s arm angle. If Hernandez can pick this up in the course of watching for a few innings, why isn’t McDowell seeing a potentially correctable flaw? Buck might say Bundy’s work between starts are intense and productive, but the in-game results tell a far different story.
If you poll 100 Orioles fans, 99 will probably tell you the reason McDowell doesn't correct it is because he isn't a good pitching coach, and the numbers the last two seasons certainly support that. Whatever roster changes the Orioles make before next year won't mean anything if they bring back this same group of failed coaches.
I don’t see that many games in television because I’m at the ballpark for most games, Bill. Keith Hernandez is an excellent commentator, as is Jim Palmer, who also points out flaws in pitchers that often are repeated.
Rich, I totally understand that you don’t get to see the telecasts, but Hernandez was on fire last night. He also tore into Chris Davis for only getting a single on his hit into the right field corner, one inning after three Mets hit balls there and ended up with two triples and a double. That and the Bundy comments were both overshadowed when he started a diatribe about the Acuna incident in Atlanta, comments that have now gone viral and which I totally disagree with.
And you are totally right about Jim Palmer. He doesn’t mince words, and his credibility is unchallenged.
Finally! Some others who are bold enough to call out the O’s coaches, especially McDowell. He’s managed to screw up most of the staff in his two years. I recently got ‘called out’ for being negative... but believe me, I’d be right there if there were any reasons to be hopeful. I personally think we got screwed in the recent trades. I follow the top 4 farm teams every single day, including reading the box scores. If some of you would do the same you’d see the ‘cupboard’ is basically bare. How many of our farmhands rank in the top 50? I don’t think that you could put a competitive team on the field in a single A league using our top 30. It’s sad and someone recently wrote a comment that it will be 2021 before we’ll field a team that can compete. I hope he is right!
He’ll be just fine. He’s in the awful funk that the whole team has been in this season. Maybe a change at pitching coach could help. The entire staff has been inconsistent all year but they’ve all had they’re streaks of being good. Hitting and defense has struggled and has fallen on pitching to get it done. As far as the HR’s he’s allowing he can’t seem to hit his spots and MLB hitters don’t miss the pitches left out over the plate. Hopefully he comes back out next spring like the dominant pitcher everyone expects him to be!
WV, I think he feels pressure to be the man, especially with Gausman gone.
I think he’ll be better next season.
I too watched the game on the NY outlet and also heard Hernandez' critique. He also added that Bundy works very slow. Bundy seems very uncomfortable on the mound( constantly walking around wiping his brow). A bigger over all question lies with thus organizations inability to develope young pitchers. Need an outsider to come in and break it down,reassess the issue. I stated once before but someone PLEASE pick Alex Cobb's brain. He came from the organization(Tampa)that's notorious for developing young pitching.
Orial, I think you may get your wish for next season.
I’m praying for it! Tomorrow wouldn’t be too soon