Dylan Bundy pitches a one hitter, Orioles win 4-0

The Orioles came into tonight’s game looking for their sixth straight win and not only did they get it, they got it thanks to one of the finest starting pitching performances we’ve seen by an Oriole in some time. Dylan Bundy pitched a complete game, one-hit shutout, the first complete game of his career and the first for the Orioles this season.

Behind Bundy was a solid offense composed solely of home runs, and the end result was a 4-0 win that put the Orioles two games above .500 and allowed them to keep pace in the Wild Card race.

Woah Bundy!

Dylan Bundy was straight up filthy tonight, pitching the kind of game that makes you feel like he is the guy who will pitch the next Orioles’ no-hitter. In fact, if not for a bunt single in the fourth inning by Kyle Seager, it would have been.

That’s not to say that Bundy didn’t allow runners. He did, but most were not his fault. Two base runners got on base via errors by Tim Beckham, the first coming in the first inning. And Bundy momentarily lost control in the third inning, walking two batters. But other than that, he was on cruise control.

Coming into tonight’s game, Dylan Bundy’s career high for strikeouts was ten. In tonight’s complete game shutout, Bundy struck out 12. Amazingly, every single one of them was a swinging strikeout. The Mariners just could not touch him.

Bundy cruised into the 8th inning having retired 11 batters in a row. He struck out Mike Zunino for the first out, then Beckham made his second error of the game. With a pitch count in the 90s, Richard Bleier began to warm up. But Bundy wasn’t having it and got the next two batters easily.

Going into the bottom of the 8th inning, the Orioles had a 3-0 lead and as such Zach Britton got up in the bullpen. But Manny Machado’s home run in the inning stopped it from being a save situation, which meant that Buck Showalter felt comfortable sending Bundy back out.

It wasn’t a perfect ninth as a pitch got away from Bundy on an 0-2 count to Robinson Cano. The ball sailed up high and grazed Cano’s helmet, earning Bundy a dramatic stare as Cano walked to first base. But the HBP didn’t phase him as he retired the next three batters, the final two on strikeouts.

What a night for Dylan Bundy! So good was his night that during his post game interview he got hit with not one, not two, but three pies by his teammates (Adam Jones, Jonathan Schoop, and Machado).

Dongs Away

The offense didn’t go as crazy tonight as it has in nights past, but with the way Dylan Bundy pitched it was more than enough. The Orioles scored four runs on four solo homers in support of Bundy’s gem.

The first home run came from Schoop with two outs in the first. It was Schoop’s 29th home run of the year. Schoop is great, right? That lone run looked like it night have to hold up (and it would have), as the Orioles put zeroes on the board for the next four innings.

Machado came close to hitting a home run in the third inning, it was about as far back in left field as a ball could be hit and not be a dinger. But he got under it just to keep it in the park.

Don’t feel too bad for Manny though, because he went deep twice later in the game. First in the sixth inning to make the score 2-0. He hit the ball to almost the same place in left field as his fly out in the third, but this one just cleared the wall. As Manny circled the bases, those of us on TV got treated to the adorable dad and baby who caught the home run:

The home run was Machado’s 29th of the year, tying is best buddy Schoop. He went ahead with his 30th home run in the eighth inning, an inning after Welington Castillo joined the fun with his 15th homer of the season.

Coming Up

The Orioles will try to extend their win streak to seven games tomorrow and sweep the Mariners. Ubaldo Jimenez takes the mound for the Birds, game time is 3:05. See you then!