O's game blog: It's Dylan Bundy against Chris Sale at Fenway Park

The Orioles have been outscored 17-6 in the first two games of their series at Fenway Park in Boston. Today in frigid conditions, they'll send right-hander Dylan Bundy (0-1, 1.35 ERA) to the mound in search of victory.

At 5-10, the Orioles are off to their worst 15-game start since the 2010 team began the season 2-13. The Orioles have lost five in a row to Boston, dating to last season.

The Red Sox are 12-2, the best record they've ever had at this point in the year in their 118-year history. Boston starting pitchers are 9-1 with an ERA of 2.08 and eight quality starts. Boston batters have produced seven consecutive games scoring six or more runs. They've scored 62 runs in that span, to average 8.9 per game.

Dylan-Bundy-gray-sidebar.jpgBundy has thrown 20 innings, allowing 14 hits with five walks to 25 strikeouts. Lefty batters have hit .290 off him, but right-handed hitters are batting just .125 against him, going 5-for-40 with 16 strikeouts. When pitching with runners in scoring position, opposing batters are 0-for-14 off Bundy.

He went 2-2 with a 3.94 ERA last season in five starts versus Boston. In 12 career games (eight starts), he is 4-4 with a 5.01 ERA.

Lefty Chris Sale (1-0, 1.06 ERA) will make his fourth start for the Red Sox. Sale has allowed zero, one and one run in his starts. Lefty batters are 4-for-11 (.364) against him and righty batters are 10-for-52 (.192). When he has pitched with at least one runner on base, he yields just a .120 (3-for-25) batting average.

Sale made three starts last season against Baltimore, going 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA. Since May 28, 2015, he has won five straight starts against the Orioles, pitching to an ERA of 1.54. In 14 career games (eight starts), Sale is 5-2 with a 2.88 ERA and has averaged 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings versus O's batters.

Today, all of baseball will commemorate the 71st anniversary of Jackie Robinson's first major league game for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15,1947. Robinson's uniform No. 42 was retired by the Dodgers in 1972, and in 1997, the 50th anniversary of his breaking of baseball's color barrier, Major League Baseball permanently retired his uniform number league-wide. Jackie Robinson Day has been celebrated throughout baseball on April 15 each year since 2004 and every player and all on-field personnel have celebrated Robinson's legacy by wearing his No. 42 during games scheduled on Jackie Robinson Day since 2009. Each player's game-worn No. 42 jersey will be authenticated, autographed and auctioned to benefit the Jackie Robinson Foundation.

On the farm last night, Double-A Bowie's Corban Joseph was a triple shy of the cycle, going 5-for-6 with a home run and five RBI's in the Baysox's 15-6 win in 10 innings at Harrisburg. The brother of O's catcher Caleb Joseph, Corban is second in the Eastern League in hits (13) and average (.419).

Today, the Orioles optioned pitcher Donnie Hart to Triple-A Norfolk and recalled right-hander David Hess for his first stint in the majors. Hess was drafted in round five out of Tennessee Tech in 2014. In his first Tides start this year, he allowed one run over five innings and fanned seven a week ago today. Click here for a November profile I wrote about Hess when he was added to the Orioles' 40-man roster.




Schoop on his injury and return (O's down 3-1)
Orioles recall Hess and option Hart
 

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