Bundy and bullpen with bad nights in 16-5 loss

The Orioles' Dylan Bundy and the Mets' Zack Wheeler were the starters in a June 6 game at Citi Field and posted almost identical lines. Three hits and five strikeouts over seven scoreless innings.

They met again tonight at Camden Yards and both right-handers allowed leadoff singles in the first inning on the eighth pitch of the at-bat.

There had to be a separator or it would get creepy.

Bundy surrendered two runs in the top of the first, Wheeler only one. Bundy threw 29 pitches, but Wheeler needed 34 to hold onto a slim lead.

The distance between them grew in the fourth, as the Mets reached Bundy for two triples that led to two more runs and broke open the game in the sixth while cruising to a 16-5 victory over the Orioles before an announced crowd of 25,045 at Camden Yards.

It would have looked worse if not for Mark Trumbo's run-scoring single in the seventh, and Austin Wynns' RBI double and Jonathan Villar's two-run homer in the eighth. Villar's ball became the 97th to land on Eutaw Street, the 42nd by an Orioles player.

Wilmer Flores hit a two-run homer off Mike Wright Jr. in the ninth, in case the Orioles were toying with the miraculous.

The teams settled for a split of their two-game series and the Orioles went 3-1 against the Mets this season. They're 36-85 overall and 21-40 at home.

The Mets erupted for nine runs in the sixth, capped off by Kevin Plawecki's grand slam off Evan Phillips that bumped the lead to 14-1. Manager Buck Showalter used four pitchers in the inning and the bullpen was charged with seven runs.

Phillips didn't retire any of the four batters faced. Two-run double, walk, walk, grand slam.

Todd Frazier pushed Bundy's home run total to 30 with a solo shot in the fifth inning that increased the lead to 5-1. Bundy was charged with seven runs in 5 1/3 innings, the last two scoring on Brandon Nimmo's triple after Tanner Scott entered the game.

Yes, the bullpen also was responsible for two inherited runners scoring.

The Mets had three triples, their most since 2009, and Bundy allowed 11 hits for the third time this season to tie his career high. Scott gave up his own run in the sixth on a walk/wild pitch, and Phillips let two inherited runners score on Frazier's double.

Remember when the Mets scored four runs in the first three games against the Orioles? They got a little crazy tonight.

The madness included 12 batters coming to the plate in the sixth.

Bundy followed up his lengthy first inning, when his fastball was clocked at 89-92 mph, with a seven-pitch second while retiring the side in order. But Austin Jackson led off the fourth with a triple and scored on José Bautista's single, and a double play was followed by José Reyes' triple and Nimmo's RBI double for a 4-1 lead.

Nimmo had three hits in the first four innings, including a pair of doubles, and finished with a career-high five. He came within a home run of the cycle.

The ankle injury in Atlanta may have nothing to do with Bundy's slide, but his ERA has risen from 3.75 to 4.99. He posted back-to-back quality starts before his last outing, but allowed three home runs against the Rays and threw 104 pitches in six innings in Texas.

In a 19-12 loss to the Red Sox last week, Bundy was charged with seven earned runs and eight total, matching his career high, in only five innings. He allowed eight hits and walked four batters.

Nimmo and Jeff McNeil opened the first with singles, Flores' sacrifice fly gave the Mets a quick lead and it grew on Frazier's bloop single into right field with two outs.

Villar led off the bottom half with a single, moved to second base on Renato Núñez's fly ball to center field and scored on Adam Jones' single into left-center field. Trey Mancini also singled with two outs, but Chris Davis struck out on Wheeler's 34th pitch.

The Orioles have been outscored 97-56 in the first inning this season.

Wheeler stranded two runners in the second and Bundy stranded two in the third. Back in copycat form.

It didn't last.