Dylan Bundy provides quality start, but O's lose series finale

Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy became just the third O's starter to go six or more innings this season, but it didn't lead to a win today for the Orioles.

Bundy allowed four runs (two earned) in six frames, but Minnesota beat the Orioles 4-3 to complete a three-game sweep. The Twins are 12-7 and the Orioles fall to 8-15, with five losses in their last six games and 10 in the last 13.

Down 4-2, the Orioles scored once in the ninth on Jonathan Villar's RBI single to make it a one-run game. But pinch-hitter Pedro Severino flied to right to leave the bases loaded and end the game.

Bundy had allowed an ERA of just 2.25 in the first three innings of his 2019 starts, but today allowed three runs in the first three innings.

The Twins scored two unearned runs in the first, the result of left fielder Dwight Smith Jr. losing a fly ball, it appeared, due to the sun. Smith's error left Twins leadoff batter Jorge Polanco on third, and Willians Astudillo promptly doubled to left for a 1-0 lead two batters into the game. Later, C.J. Cron's two-out RBI single made it 2-0. Bundy hit Nelson Cruz to start the third inning, and Cruz scored on Jake Cave's single for a 3-0 advantage.

Down 3-0, the Orioles pulled within a run on Smith's two-run single to center in the last of the third off Minnesota starter Kyle Gibson. It scored Villar, who reached on a fielder's choice, and Trey Mancini, who singled. Byron Buxton led off the Twins fourth with a double to left and came around to score on two fly balls for a 4-2 lead.

Smith left the game before the top of the seventh. He may have injured himself running to first base after a dropped third strike in the last of the sixth.

Over his six innings, Bundy gave up seven hits and the Twins' four runs while recording one walk and four strikeouts. He threw 95 pitches, 63 for strikes, and is 0-3 with a 6.56 ERA. After allowing seven homers his previous three starts, he did not yield a homer today.

Neither team hit a home run this afternoon. This was one day after they combined for 17 over the course of a doubleheader, a major league record for most homers hit in a twinbill.

By allowing just the two earned runs, Bundy recorded his first quality start of the year. It is just the third by the Orioles this season. The first two, by David Hess and Andrew Cashner, came April 1-2 at Toronto. They were also the last pitchers before today to go six innings or more in a game. The Orioles went 17 games without a quality start or six-inning outing before Bundy got that done today.

The Orioles left the bases loaded in the eighth when reliever Trevor Hildenberger got Rio Ruiz to bounce out to the mound with two outs. The O's went 2-for-9 today batting with runners in scoring position, and 4-for-23 in the series.

The Twins have won nine straight games versus the Orioles. They are 13-3 against Baltimore since 2017, and 23-8 dating to September 2014.

The Orioles, now 1-9 at home with six straight losses, host the Chicago White Sox Monday to start a three-game series. Hess (1-3, 5.57 ERA) faces lefty Manny Bañuelos (1-0, 3.48 ERA) at 7:05 p.m.