Bundy turns in shortest start of season in 12-0 loss (with quotes)

Do the Orioles need to start worrying about Dylan Bundy?

As if a pile of injuries isn't enough to keep them awake nights.

Bundy turned in his shortest start of the season tonight, lasting only 4 1/3 innings, and the Orioles managed three baserunners against Corey Kluber in an 12-0 loss to the Indians at Camden Yards in a game that started 29 minutes late due to rain.

The tarp was more entertaining.

The Indians sent nine batters to the plate in the fourth and fifth innings, with Francisco Lindor twice making the last out, and eight batters in the sixth. They collected seven doubles, a triple and two home runs through the seventh.

Bundy was charged with six runs, the last scoring after Vidal Nuño replaced him, and the Orioles have two quality starts in the last 14 games. Nuño surrendered a two-run homer to Carlos Santana in the fifth to increase the Indians' lead to 8-0.

Nuño may be headed back to Triple-A Norfolk. He's allowed home runs in all three outings since the Orioles recalled him on Friday, and seven in 14 1/3 innings this season. He departed tonight with the bases loaded in the sixth, no outs and the Indians leading 9-0.

Gabriel Ynoa let two inherited runners score and Nuño was charged with five runs and six hits with two walks in two-thirds of an inning to leave his ERA at 10.43.

Meanwhile, Kluber retired 17 of the first 18 batters he faced, with Adam Jones punching a single into right field with two outs in the first inning. Seth Smith singled into left field with two outs in the sixth, earning sarcastic applause from the intimate gathering, and Hyun Soo Kim grounded a single into right with two outs in the eighth.

The Orioles didn't get a runner past first base and dropped below .500 again at 34-35. They've allowed five runs or more in 16 straight games, four shy of the major league record set by the 1924 Phillies. Opponents have scored at least 10 runs in five of the last 10 games.

Bundy has gone five, six, five and 4 1/3 innings in his last four starts after completing six innings in his first 11 outings. He's charged with 10 earned runs (11 total) in his last two starts over 9 1/3 innings.

Bundy and Kluber each faced only one batter over the minimum through three innings. Bundy needed 52 pitches, 21 more than Kluber.

A scoreless tie vanished in the fourth.

Bundy surrendered consecutive one-out doubles to José Ramírez, Edwin Encarnacion and Lonnie Chisenhall to give Cleveland a 2-0 lead. Ramírez set the franchise record with doubles in seven consecutive games. Encarnacion collected his 1,500th career hit.

Santana walked and Bundy hit Yan Gomes to load the bases. Bradley Zimmer struck out, but Austin Jackson lined a two-run double into the left field corner to increase the lead to 4-0.

Bundy threw 36 pitches in the fourth inning to leave his total at 88. Nuno began to warm before Lindor flied to center field.

A four-run deficit against Kluber, making his fourth start since coming off the disabled list, wasn't the best route for the Orioles.

Jason Kipnis led off the fifth inning with a home run over the flag court in right field, the 90th ball to land on Eutaw Street and the 50th by an opponent. Encarnacion walked with one out, Nuño entered the game and bad turned to worse.

Santana hit a two-run homer and Jackson delivered an RBI double. And to prove that they hadn't lost their stamina, the Indians loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth before Chisenhall's RBI single ended Nuño's night.

Ynoa gave up Santana's sacrifice fly and Zimmer's RBI single for an 11-0 lead.The Orioles committed two errors in the ninth, the last by Paul Janish allowing an unearned run to score against Richard Bleier.

The Indians scored 12 times tonight and stranded 13 runners. Kluber kept coasting and the Orioles suffered their ninth loss in 12 games. They're 5-12 against the American League Central.

Manager Buck Showalter on Bundy: "He was struggling really to find anything that ... Casi (Welington Castillo) and I were talking about it. Just nothing he could really go to that he could depend on. Kind of worked his way through the first few innings, but his command really was frustrating for him. Usually he can figure out a way to maneuver until he kind of gets it going. Sometimes he carries it early on. He never really found his step too much consistently. A lot of pitches in four innings, five innings."

More Showalter on Bundy: "I just know the results weren't very good and it's very unlike Dylan. He was fighting his command most of the outing, but especially toward the last of it. That's unlike him to fight his command like that."

Showalter on Bundy usually being able to limit damage: "Which he did a little bit. Even the fifth inning. I was hoping we could get five out of him. He struggled to get through the fourth. Just unlike him. Seemed like he was fighting his delivery, fighting his command. You could tell he was just searching for it a little bit. We've been obviously spoiled at a good level of pitching with him. Tonight wasn't the case."

Showalter on Kluber: "There's a reason why he won the Cy Young. Any time you can cut the ball, two-seam it, move the other way, then slow you down with something soft. He had everything working. Certainly getting behind like we did tonight and have, it puts even more pressure on our offense because you know he's usually not going to give up much."

Showalter on bullpen issues: "It's been frustrating because we haven't sent anybody out who's doing the job, regardless of what we've ... Ynoa did the job tonight and we're probably going to figure out a way to keep him. That's how it works. You pitch good. But we haven't had anybody consistently seize that job kind of like Mychal (Givens) a couple years ago came in. But it's hard to protect them with the short outings, where you can try to develop them, get them on their feet and let them have a couple outings and not over-extended them and kind of get their confidence.

"It's tough to develop them or give them that leeway and experience when you need innings. We've had to overextend guys. You're trying to win and develop pitchers a little bit. These guys are 22, 23, 24 years old. They know. There's a great opportunity there in a real time of need. You can take it and run with it. There have been a lot of opportunities."

Bundy on outing: "I didn't have anything, so I was battling out there, trying to get outs, trying to locate as best as I could."

Bundy on struggling early: "Yeah, I mean, even in the first three innings I was getting some pretty long or hard outs. And wasn't really commanding the baseball at all tonight."

Bundy on facing Kluber: "It's hard to pitch against anybody up here. But it was just poor execution and pitches right down the middle in hitter's counts tonight.

"You want to go out there and compete and give your team at least six, seven, eight innings if you can. But I wasn't able to do that tonight."

Bundy on difference in his most recent starts: "I mean I'm giving up a lot of runs recently. Mainly it all boils down to command. I'm not commanding the baseball and throwing it where I want to and getting ahead of hitters like I did early in the season. I want to get back to that. I'll work on it in my bullpen in between here and my next start and hopefully it gets better."

Smith on Kluber: "He's always tough. He's got really good stuff."

Smith on what it takes for team to be consistent: "You just keep going out there and giving what you got, doing the best you can. It is what it is. This is the team that we have, so we just go out there and play and try to win games."