Orioles’ Bundy allows two homers to Rangers’ Calhoun; Fry takes loss; Palmer misses game because of illness

BALTIMORE—Oriole starter Dylan Bundy was vexed by the Texas Rangers’ Willie Calhoun. Bundy allowed two home runs to Calhoun but left the game in the seventh with a two-run lead.

However, Paul Fry, who has had an awful week, couldn’t hold the lead and the Rangers beat the Orioles, 7-6, on Friday night.

Fry allowed all three runners he faced to reach base. Two of them scored, and he suffered his third loss in the last six days.

“The seventh inning was a rough one,” manager Brandon Hyde said.

He did like how Bundy threw.

“He really just had a tough time with Calhoun,” Hyde said. “Besides that, I think he threw the ball great. Another good fifth and sixth, and left with the lead in the seventh inning with the bottom of the order coming up. We just didn’t get it done coming out of the ‘pen.”

Calhoun hit a solo shot in the first and a three-run homer in the third. His  second home run tied the score at 4. A two-run home run by Anthony Santander, his 18th, put the Orioles back in front, 6-4, in the fifth.

“It’s usually the same thing, pitches right down the middle,” Bundy said. “A slider trying to go backfoot and a heater trying to go up and in, just middle, middle. These guys can hit those pitches out. Just can’t throw it there.”

After the second home run, Bundy didn’t allow a runner in scoring position until Scott Heineman doubled to begin the seventh, and Fry replaced him.

Fry walked Ronald Guzman and Jose Trevino to load the bases. Shin-Soo Choo singled to score Heineman.

“Left, right, left, bottom of the order and [Fry] had a tough time finding the strike zone,” Hyde said. “Pretty good matchup for him there, and it just didn’t happen.”

Shawn Armstrong allowed a two-run single to Elvis Andrus, and the Orioles trailed, 7-6

Further damage was averted when Pedro Severino nailed Andrus trailing to steal. It broke a streak of 28 consecutive successful steals against Severino, who threw out his last runner on June 9. Severino threw out  Andrus after his two-run single.

Trey Mancini hit his 30^th home run, his first in the last 20 games, with one out in the first, and Richie Martin hit a three-run home run, his fifth and first since June 25, with two outs in the second against Brock Burke.

“I was just fighting the whole at-bat and, luckily, I got a good pitch, 2-2 count and over the plate, and just put the barrel to the ball,” Martin said. “My job’s to get on base and just square the ball up any way I can. Fortunately, it happened to go out today.”

Martin, whose average was .166 at the All-Star break, is up to .200.

“I think Richie’s been swinging the bat off left-handed pitching,” Hyde said. “He got one on the barrel out front, which is great to see. Just missed a home run foul, then launches one in the stands in left-center. That was a big hit for us, a big hit for him. He hasn’t hit one in a while. I feel really good for him about that.”

In the eighth, the Orioles had runners on first and second against Rafael Montero. With two outs, Mark Trumbo pinch-hit for Severino and hit a fly ball to center.

In the ninth, DJ Stewart bunted for a base hit against the shift. It broke an 0-for-17 streak. Rio Ruiz walked against Jose Leclerc. Hanser Alberto bunted both runners over. Mancini struck out and Santander popped out to end the game.

“We’re facing some pretty good relievers — Montero and Leclerc, who have really good stuff,” Hyde said. “Mark just missed that ball. I’ll take second and third with one out and Trey up and Santander coming up any day of the week, It just didn’t happen tonight. We did a nice job of battling. We scored some runs and did some nice things offensively.”

Palmer’s absence: Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, who has long broadcast Orioles games, announced on Twitter that he’s suffering from myelitis.

Palmer wrote: “I’m out of the booth due to a rare infection in my spinal column caused by the Shingles virus. VERY thankful for O’s team docs and trainers who told me to get an MRI ASAP…showed Myelitis. I’m still watching O’s and tweeting with you!!!!”