Bundy allows a homer, leaves with the lead in Frederick

FREDERICK, Md - Life in the Carolina League could prove tSo be more challenging for Orioles 2011 top draft pick Dylan Bundy. It was tonight as the 19-year-old right-hander made his debut for the Frederick Keys and gave up a homer and earned runs for the first time as a pro, but he did leave tonight's game at Harry Grove Stadium with a 4-2 lead as Jason Gurka came on to pitch in the top of the sixth. The final line on Bundy: 5IP, 6H, 2R-ER, 0BB, 6K. Of the six hits he allowed tonight, five were singles and a couple of those were bloops or infield hits. Bundy gave up leadoff hits in three of his five innings. He took a 1-0 lead to the top of the fourth when Ryan Kalish led off with an infield hit. The next batter, Salem cleanup hitter Travis Shaw, was ready for Bundy's 1-1 pitch and turned on a fastball, hitting it over the right-field wall for a 2-1 lead. Shaw may have, as they say in the game, "cheated" to get that fastball and he was on that pitch. Salem entered tonight with the best record in the league at 26-18 and leading the league in batting and second in runs scored. So Bundy did get a nice challenge tonight from this club and the top four in the Salem order went 3-for-9 with a homer against him. Bundy clearly got the message that he needed to throw more non-fastballs than he had in his last start on Sunday at Hagerstown for Delmarva and he seemed to feature the curveball a little more than his changeup. But both pitches got plenty of action tonight. Bundy did get a nice challenge tonight from the club with the best record in the league and the top four in the Salem order went 3-for-9 with a homer against him. Bundy's fastball was hitting 94 and 95 at times on the Harry Grove Stadium scoreboard gun and some here say that could be around three mph on the slow side. Over 35 innings now between two teams, Bundy has allowed 11 hits, four runs (two earned) with two walks and 46 strikeouts. Tonight's attendance was announced at 9,833 in Frederick, the largest for the Keys since May 6, 2006. The final: The Keys won the game 5-3 as Kipp Schutz homered, Trent Mummey added a two-run double and Jeremy Nowak had three hits and an RBI. Bundy gets the win in his Carolina League debut and picks up his second professional victory. Jason Gurka, Clay Schrader and Ryan Berry combined to pitch four innings after Bundy tonight on the mound.