Bundy on his outing and reduced velocity (plus other quotes)

Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy delivered another solid performance tonight. He did it with reduced fastball velocity and heavy use of his secondary pitches.

But he was good again, allowing four hits and two runs over 6 1/3 innings in a no-decision as the Orioles beat Tampa Bay 5-4 by scoring two runs in the last of the 11th. He left with a 3-2 lead that turned into a tie and one-run deficit before the O's pulled the game out in the 11th.

Well before Seth Smith's bases-loaded walk ended the game, Bundy took the mound with an ERA ranking fourth in the AL at 1.37. He came up with his fifth quality start in five games and left his outing with an ERA of 1.65. He threw curves, sliders and changeups on 68 of his 106 pitches.

His fastball ranged from 88-90 mph, touching 91-92 mph with a few 93 mph readings as the game went on.

"I know there will be a lot of times I'll go out there and I don't have my best fastball," Bundy said. "So, I mean, it's hard as a major league starter to have your best stuff every single game for 30-some starts a year. As long as, like I said, (I pitched) six innings and kept the team in the game, I consider that doing my job.

"I was probably getting loosened up more, moreso than that first and second inning. Because I did feel a little bit better, overall body in the third and fourth inning. I did notice more life on the ball at the end."

Bundy said there is not any reason to be concerned about him or his fastball velocity.

"A quality start is a quality start," he said. "I'm not too worried about the numbers. I don't think you guys need to be worried either. But, no, I'm mixing in more two-seamers this year, like I said in spring training. But overall, felt good when I left the game so I'm happy about it. Yeah, I think I used curveball more and my changeup more than I have in the past. And it worked out well tonight."

Most of the Rays didn't do much against Bundy tonight, but shortstop Tim Beckham reached him for solo homers in the third and fifth innings.

"He hit a fastball inside, a two-seamer that didn't really move and then a slider that was kind of a spinning slider," Bundy said. "I would have tried a curveball the next at-bat, but I didn't get to face him."

Over his last three starts, Bundy has allowed two runs in 19 1/3 innings for an ERA of 0.93. O's starters have produced 10 quality starts the last 13 games and a rotation ERA of 3.07 in that span.

In the 11th, Jonathan Schoop's sac fly tied the game before Smith walked with the bases loaded on four pitches to complete a 2-for-5 night.

The Orioles are now 14-6 (.700) overall, 12-5 against the American League East, 8-3 at home and 6-0-1 in seven series. They are off Thursday and then begin a series at Yankee Stadium on Friday night.

More clubhouse quotes:

Smith on the win: "It's awesome. Every win is big. That's all that matters at the end of the day, at the end of the season. Be down in extra innings and come back and win is always good for the morale and moving forward. Probably less so winning than the feeling of losing an extra-inning game at home, but still really good."

Smith on circling the bases after his single in the second inning sent Ryan Flaherty to third base. Two errors led to both runners scoring for a 3-0 lead: "I hit the single and then the throw came in. I was stopping at first, and then it got by, and I was stopping at second. The throw went to left. I was going to third, and I saw there wasn't anybody really close, and I knew I might get sent home, but at that point, everything was behind me, and he was sending me, the hard send is where you know there's probably going to be a play, and thankfully I was able to get there before the ball."

Flaherty on that play: "I was trying to steal second and he put the ball in play and it turned into a circus. He hit it, try to get to third. Going to third, the ball gets away, try to go home, then you realize don't go home. You go back to third, it ends up hitting you in the helmet. It bounces in the outfield for an inside-the-park home run."

Flaherty on getting to start and play in a win: "It's just fun to get out there and play. When you get a chance to get out there, you try to help the team win, move the chains and keep it going."