Bundy hit hard as O's lose again (Hunter Harvey update)

TORONTO - Tonight it went from bad to worse for struggling Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy. After giving up 15 runs in his past two starts, he allowed seven more, and three more home runs, as Toronto beat the Orioles 8-2 at Rogers Centre.

He failed to get an out in the fifth inning and allowed at least one run in four of the five innings in which he took the mound. Bundy went four innings plus two batters and gave up 10 hits, with no walks and three strikeouts. He threw 72 pitches and is now 7-12 with a 5.31 ERA.

He began the night leading the majors in homers allowed with 30 and added three to that total. The Orioles' single-season record is 35, done four times, most recently by Jeremy Guthrie in 2009. Bundy has allowed two or more homers 10 times on the season, and three or more six times.

Toronto's Aledmys Díaz hit a solo homer in the second to give the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead. They added three in the fourth, with two scoring on Billy McKinney's single and another on an error by third baseman Renato Núñez. In the first inning, Curtis Granderson hit a leadoff double and scored on Kendrys Morales' single.

When the Blue Jays hit back-to-back homers off Bundy to start the fifth, that ended his night. Justin Smoak hit his 19th and Morales hit his 17th, and his third in two games in this series. Bundy gave up one homer on a fastball, one on a slider and one on a changeup.

As to what is wrong with Bundy, maybe tonight shows it goes beyond command issues. He doesn't seem to have the finish on his pitches from earlier in the year. Before the game, manager Buck Showalter said Bundy is healthy. Bundy has said the same.

Over his past three starts, Bundy has allowed 29 hits and six homers for 22 runs (21 earned) in 14 1/3 innings. He has given up 59 hits in 39 2/3 and 15 homers over his last eight starts. His ERA in this stretch is 9.08.

The Orioles scored just twice tonight off Toronto right-hander Sam Gaviglio, who went seven to get the victory. Caleb Joseph's single with the bases loaded in the second tied the game at 1-1. But the Orioles stranded the bases loaded.

Cedric Mullins led off the fifth with a line-drive homer to right. Mullins hit No. 2 on a 1-1 changeup and it traveled just over the wall at 377 feet. It produced his fourth career RBI. Seven of Mullins' 13 career hits have gone for extra bases, with five doubles and two home runs.

Chris Davis went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. He has now fanned 33 times in 66 at-bats over his past 18 games.

The Orioles (37-89) are a season-worst 52 games under the .500 mark. They are 0-9 at Rogers Centre, where they could have a winless season if they lose on Wednesday afternoon. The Orioles have lost five of six, 10 of 12, 14 of 18 and 30 of their past 43 games.

In Wednesday's 12:37 p.m. series finale, right-hander David Hess (2-7, 5.95 ERA) pitches against lefty Thomas Pannone (0-0, 6.00 ERA).

Hunter Harvey shut down: After the game, Orioles manager Buck Showalter confirmed a Baltimore Sun report that Double-A pitcher Hunter Harvey is being shut down.

"He's had some elbow discomfort they didn't like in his last throw session. He's going to see Dr. (Brian) Schofield shortly. That's a little discouraging. We felt like by this time, if he was healthy, he'd be pitching potentially for us, so that's been a kick in the pants. A lot more for him than us. It's been a frustrating year for him, physically."

Postgame quotes

Showalter on Bundy: "His finish, the shape of his pitches, it's just very unlike Dylan. This is probably as tough a stretch as he's had. It seems like every mistake he makes he's paying a price for. There will be better days ahead for him. It's (his resolve) tested now. It's a challenge for him right now, I can tell. It's probably one of the tougher periods he's had, other than when he was hurt."

Showalter when asked if the O's would consider skipping Bundy a start: "We kind of have. We've done that, extra days' rest at the All-Star break. You saw what we did. We've given him extra days quite a few times. We've attacked that and we'll continue to look at if we need to do it again."

Bundy said again he is fine physically, but it's been a difficult stretch: "It's tough, but we're all going to have these stretches. You just try to limit them. Right now, this one is going on for quite some time. Hopefully, in the future I can figure this out quicker and get better faster."

Bundy when asked if the finish on his pitches is lacking: "As far as the shape of all the pitches, I'd say the changeup is probably by far the worst. The command of it and the shape, the speed, everything. The slider and curveball, I'm happy with the shape of it. The bite of it. Everything. Just the location of the slider - sometimes I leave it over the middle of the plate to those right-handed hitters and it's a pretty easy pitch to hit out when it's right over the plate. It's frustrating for everybody. We all know that. In between starts all I can do is continue to do my work and my routine, and if I need to change things up and work on something else, I will.

Caleb Joseph on Bundy: "You feel for Dylan. He's been extremely consistent for us for a number of years now. You want to do anything you can to help him get out of it. Because you know it's in there and it's not like he's lost it. Want to try and find a way to help him get through it. Continue to go back to the drawing board and try and find ways to get back there and finish this thing off this year.