Bundy works out of trouble as Orioles shut down Tribe

Associated Press

Baltimore

Dylan Bundy has been outstanding this season, allowing five earned runs in five starts while striking out 40 in just over 31 innings.

And now, the Baltimore Orioles right-hander has a victory to show for it.

Bundy pitched six innings of five-hit ball and struck out nine to help Baltimore beat the Cleveland Indians 3-1 Friday night.

Manny Machado homered and Trey Mancini doubled in two runs for the Orioles, who were outscored 43-22 during an 0-6 trip through Boston and Detroit.

After being victimized by a lack of run support in his first four outings, Bundy (1-2) got enough offense to earn his first win since Aug. 29.

“We finally got him a win,” Machado said. “He’s a horse. He’s been throwing strikes, pounding the zone and getting outs. We just haven’t been scoring runs for him.”

Richard Bleier worked two innings — aided by a fine defensive play by Machado at shortstop — and Darren O’Day got for his first save.

Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer (1-2) allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings. He retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced before Machado sent a 3-0 pitch over the center-field wall.

Mancini put the Orioles in front in the fifth with a liner to the gap in left-center after Bauer hit a batter and gave up a single.

“I really struggled putting guys away tonight,” Bauer lamented. “My slider was terrible, and when I can’t put guys away with that, they know I’m going to throw curveballs. So when I throw bad ones like that [to Mancini], I get away with them less.”

Jason Kipnis singled and the Indians loaded the bases in the first before Bundy hit Edwin Encarnacion with a pitch to force in a run. Bundy then got two straight outs to keep the situation from getting worse.

“Just trying to limit the damage there,” he said. “Could have put us in a hole there.”

Michael Brantley had two hits for the Indians, his career-high tying fifth straight multihit game. But Cleveland didn’t do much else, mostly because Bundy was so sharp.

“Very good changeup. I mean, really good,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “We weren’t able to make the adjustment. Once he got a feel for that, it really made his fastball and breaking ball that much better.”

UP NEXT

Indians: RHP Mike Clevinger (1-0, 2.70 ERA) pitches today on seven days’ rest. Clevinger was 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA in two starts against Baltimore last season.

Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman (0-3, 11.91) has gone 21 straight starts since his last victory on May 7, 2017.