O's game blog: Dylan Bundy on the mound in homestand opener

The Orioles have won just one of five home series this year. But after 12 straight road losses, Oriole Park should feel very friendly to the team tonight in the opener of a three-game series with Kansas City. Tonight begins a three-team, nine-game homestand that includes Saturday's single-admission doubleheader with Tampa Bay.

The Orioles went 0-6 on a road trip to Anaheim and Oakland, and they scored just one run in losing the last two games versus the Athletics. The Orioles are 2-18 when scoring three runs or less and have scored just one run their past 24 innings.

At 8-26 they have lost seven of eight, 12 of 14, 18 of 21 and 20 of the last 24 games. Since last Sept. 5 they are 12-45. Baltimore's home record is 5-10.

Kansas City got off to a miserable start going 3-14 and 5-20. But the Royals are 6-3 in their last nine to get to 11-23. Over the weekend they won three of four against Detroit. But that was Kansas City's first series win of the year and the Royals are 1-8-2 in series.

Kansas City ranks 13th in the American League in runs, ninth in batting average (.249), 14th in home runs (29) and 14th in team ERA (5.05). The Orioles, by the way, have hit just 34 homers to rank 12th in the AL and that says a lot about their problems scoring runs since they rely so often on the longball.

Right-hander Dylan Bundy (1-4, 3.76 ERA) will make his eighth start. Through five games, Bundy was 1-2 with a 1.42 ERA, with an average against of .220 and having allowed one home run over 31 2/3 innings. Now in his past two starts he is 0-2 with a 12.00 ERA. In those nine innings he has allowed 18 hits and five homers. Opponent batters are hitting .400 (18-for-45).

Bundy has allowed an average of .342 and OPS of .864 when facing left-handed batters. Last season those numbers were .261/.773. When pitching this season against right-handers he allows an average of .202 and OPS of .696. AL batters hit .229 against Bundy with runners in scoring position.

For K.C., lefty Danny Duffy (0-4, 5.63 ERA) will make his eighth start. He pitched to a 3.86 ERA, with an average allowed of .205 his first four starts. Over his past three he is 0-2 with a 7.79 ERA and a .342 batting average against. In his last start on May 2 at Boston he gave up 10 hits and five runs over 6 2/3. He allowed four homers - three hit by Mookie Betts. Duffy has given up nine homers in 38 1/3 innings.

In four road starts he is 0-3 with a 5.48 ERA. In 87 career road appearances, he is 26-26 with a 3.75 ERA. Duffy has made nine appearances, seven as a starter against Baltimore going 2-2 with a 2.23 ERA.

Hess was dealing: Right-hander David Hess had another strong game today as Triple-A Norfolk won 13-0 at Durham to go to 17-12. Hess took a no-hitter into the seventh and allowed one hit over seven innings with 10 strikeouts. Hess is 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA over six starts and five times he's allowed one run or less. The Orioles can add a 26th player for both games of Saturday's doubleheader and manager Buck Showalter said Hess is a consideration, possibly to pitch out of the bullpen.

DJ Stewart hit a grand slam in the ninth today for the Tides. Garabez Rosa and Jaycob Brugman added three RBIs each. Baseball America's Kyle Glaser covered today's game and wrote about Hess and Stewart in this story.

Right-hander Lucas Long is going back into the rotation tonight at Double-A Bowie, getting the start at Altoona. The Baysox have six pitchers for their five-man rotation with Long, Hunter Harvey, Keegan Akin, Jayson Aquino, Michael Kelly and John Means. Harvey will start every sixth day with the scheduled starter working after him that game.