Jace Peterson on his connection to a former Oriole

When the Orioles put in a waiver claim on Jace Peterson on April 24, they added a versatile lefty bat who had been waived by the New York Yankees.

Since opening day, Peterson had been called up by the Yankees, designated for assignment by New York, re-signed by the Yankees, designated for assignment again and claimed on waivers by the Orioles. All of that happened in a 16-day span.

It was, as he called it, a "wild ride." As he was hoping to settle in with his new team he knew who to call for a scouting report on his new club and city: his former Atlanta Braves teammate and former Oriole Nick Markakis.

"I talked to him the day I got claimed and he gave me a quick rundown," Peterson said. "He said I would love it and enjoy my time here. He said the team would fit the way I play. For me, at this level, it is about playing hard and getting wins."

Selected No. 58 overall by San Diego in the 2011 draft, Peterson was traded to Atlanta on Dec. 19, 2014 in a deal involving outfielder Justin Upton.

With Atlanta, Peterson found in Markakis someone that shared his interests in fishing and hunting. He found someone that quickly became a close friend.

He found someone that could teach him a lot about the game.

"Nick is a guy that comes to the field ready every day," Peterson said. "He's got his routine down to a science and he is very professional. At first I just sat back and watched in 2015, and as the season progressed, we became pretty good buddies. He is someone I still talk to often.

"If I could take one thing from him, it would be his approach and how he plays the game. A true pro and he never lets anything bother him. Whether he is 5-for-10 or 0-for-20, he's the same guy. He is just one of the good guys in the game."

Peterson is batting .164 in 19 games with the Orioles with three doubles, a triple, seven RBIs and five stolen bases in five chances. He and Craig Gentry are tied for the team lead with five steals and combine for 10 of the 15 steals the Orioles have this year.

Markakis would approve of Peterson's hustle and scrappy play. Along with some speed and defensive versatility, he brings that to the field every day.

"Honestly, I don't think it's hard to do that," Peterson said. "That is just the way the game should be played. For the most part for me, when I put a ball in play, I try to put as much pressure as I can on the defense to get me out. Lot of times you put the ball in play and good things happen. I try to always run the bases hard."

The road woes of the O's: One night after snapping a 13-game road losing streak, the Orioles hope they have not started another one. They lost 6-3 to Boston last night.

Right-hander Dylan Bundy had more trouble with the longball. He gave up three homers and four runs over six innings. Bundy went 1-2 with a 1.42 ERA and allowed one homer in 31 2/3 innings in his first five starts. He has gone 1-4 with a 9.41 ERA, allowing 12 homers in 22 innings over his past five starts. He has five quality starts, but the Orioles are 3-7 in his 10 outings.

The Orioles got a two-run homer from Pedro Álvarez. They have now hit at least one homer in 12 straight games, hitting 24 in that span. Álvarez has now homered six times in his last 12 games, spanning 34 at-bats.

It is exciting that right-hander David Hess will get today's start at Fenway Park. Will manager Buck Showalter again pair rookies, with Chance Sisco catching Hess? In this space yesterday, Sisco talked about that game and some of the strengths of Hess.