Dylan Bundy makes progress with his secondary pitches and the O's bounce back

Granted, when judging Dylan Bundy so far this season, we're just going by a stat sheet of just six innings over two outings. However, as he continues to make his way back from his June 2013 Tommy John surgery, O's top pitching prospect Bundy said he made progress last night.

He gave up two runs over three innings Friday night against Erie. In his first start against Harrisburg, he pitched three scoreless innings.

This time progress came with his secondary pitches.

"Command and offspeed pitch-wise, I would say this outing was better than the first," Bundy said last night in the Baysox clubhouse. "That first time I may have been getting a bit lucky with some lineouts right at people. Pitch-wise, I thought this was better."

After the three scoreless innings Monday against Harrisburg, Bundy was an out away from wrapping up another scheduled three-inning outing without allowing a run. Then Erie's No. 3 and 4 hitters drove in two against him, and he took the 5-2 loss to the Seawolves.

Over three frames and 56 pitches (36 for strikes,) he gave up four hits and two runs with one walk and four strikeouts while touching 94 and 95 mph on the stadium radar gun.

"I wasn't happy with the walk, but that was really the only batter I felt like I didn't have command of the ball that at-bat," Bundy said. "Overall, I was really happy with all four pitches and threw them for strikes."

That included his curveball, which took a nice step forward on Saturday night.

"Lot better than the first outing. Last time, I was throwing the curveball in the grass, threw it over the catcher's head. Was happy how I commanded that tonight," Bundy said.

While the Orioles limit his innings early in the year so he has more available late in the season, Bundy would love the chance to pitch deeper in games right now.

"You just have to get the innings in at this point," he said. "I wish I could go out there for the fourth, fifth and sixth and learn more about what hitters are doing and what adjustments they are making on me so I could make adjustments and learn as well. But three innings is all I've got right now, and I have to make the best of it."

He was a pitch away from a second straight scoreless outing last night, but this time he didn't get it.

"You know it is a matter of inches this game. I left a changeup and a slider up that were maybe just a hair up, and they were able to get the bat on the ball and put it into the outfield. Have to work on that," Bundy said.

Bowie manager Gary Kendall also talked about Bundy's progress with his secondary pitches.

"You know it was a shame with two outs, he couldn't close it out and they got a couple of runs," Kendall said. "But he was down in the zone and threw some good breaking balls and good changeups to left-handed hitters. I think he has come aways. His breaking ball was better tonight."

Last night's game also featured a Schoop playing a very good second base. This time it was Jonathan's older brother, 27-year-old Sharlon Schoop.

With regular second baseman Derrik Gibson serving as the DH, Schoop played second. On the day we found out Jonathan Schoop would go on the Orioles' disabled list, Sharlon Schoop played a great defensive game, making a leaping catch and a nice play to start an impressive double play.

"You know Sharlon will play good defense. He is a guy that will play good defense wherever we put him. He turns the double play well. He really played well tonight," Kendall said.

But Bowie has lost the first three games of this series to Erie, allowing 23 runs. Tim Berry (0-1, 8.31 ERA) takes the mound today at 2 p.m. as the Baysox try to avoid a four-game sweep.

Birds in the win column: The Orioles certainly needed that win yesterday in Boston and got it. With all the issues they've had this year - including bullpen struggles, Chris Davis' strikeouts, injuries and a walkoff loss Friday - they are 6-5 and one game out of first place.

So do you see the glass half-full or empty at this point? Is that a good record considering how they got there, or are some of the issues they've had a sign of potential trouble to come?

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