Dylan Bundy exits early as New York wins to split series (with quotes)

For Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy tonight, it came down to a five-run third inning that beat him. There was a double play chance not taken and a long plate appearance won big-time by the batter. It conspired against him as the New York Yankees beat the Orioles 9-0 at Oriole Park to split a four-game series.

The Orioles' bats could do very little with New York right-hander Sonny Gray. He entered with a 5.85 ERA and had allowed 13 hits and 11 runs over 4 1/3 innings in his past two starts. In those games, the Red Sox and Blue Jays went a combined 13-for-25 versus Gray. Tonight the Orioles went 3-for-21 against him. After going six scoreless with eight strikeouts, he improved to 6-7 with a 5.46 ERA.

With the loss, the Orioles (26-67) have lost eight of 10, 15 of 18 and 26 of the last 33 games. They are 14-31 at home and 3-39 when they score two runs or fewer. They are 5-5 versus the Yankees.

Making his second start since coming off the disabled list, Bundy needed 39 pitches through the first two innings before Greg Bird hit a grand slam during the five-run third.

With runners on first and third and one out, Didi Gregorius hit a comebacker and Brett Gardner broke from third toward home. Bundy might have turned an inning-ending double play there, but threw home to get Gardner for the second out. With the inning kept alive, Giancarlo Stanton singled to produce a 1-0 lead, and when Aaron Hicks walked, Bird batted with the bases loaded.

He had struck out in the previous inning, but did so in an 11-pitch at-bat. This time he saw the ninth pitch with a 2-2 count. He drilled a curveball out to right for his first career slam and a 5-0 lead. The ball left his bat at 107.9 mph per Statcast, and this was his seventh homer.

Over four innings and 91 pitches, Bundy allowed five hits and five runs with four walks and three strikeouts. He falls to 6-9 with a 4.35 ERA . That is up from 3.75 over his last two games, in which he has allowed 11 runs (10 earned) in 7 1/3 innings.

The Orioles' starting pitchers have gone seven consecutive games without a quality start, with a rotation ERA of 7.99 in that time.

New York added single runs in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth. Tyler Wade hit his first major league homer in the sixth off Mike Wright Jr., and Austin Romine hit a solo shot an inning later off Jhan Maríñez. Giancarlo Stanton's RBI single in the ninth gave him a four-hit, two-RBI game.

The Orioles were shut out for the ninth time and have been held to one run or fewer 26 times, two or fewer 42 times and three or fewer 58 times.

The Orioles host the Philadelphia Phillies tomorrow, with a start time of 6:05 p.m., to make up an earlier rainout. Right-hander Kevin Gausman (4-6, 4.11 ERA) faces right-hander Nick Pivetta (5-7, 4.62 ERA).

Postgame quotes:

Bundy on Bird seeing 20 pitches in two at-bats before slam: "Yeah, you know, I gave him pretty much every pitch I had in the arsenal there. He was able to foul most of them off and then hit the curveball out there."

Bundy on having some two-strike counts in the third but not putting batters away: "I mean, it's a good lineup over there. Big, strong guys, and they were able to fist some balls in some areas. You know, maybe missed my spot by a few inches here and there, but for the most part not too bad of pitches there. Thought I had good stuff, just missing a little bit off the plate. Last outing I was missing on the plate, so."

Has it been tougher coming back from DL than you thought? "I mean, yeah the results show that, but it doesn't feel like it has been. I felt great today. Thought my stuff was really good. All four pitches, I thought, were quality."

Bundy on comebacker by Gregorius that he threw home to get an out in the third: "Ball was hit at me and I don't want the runner to score, because I was able to see he was halfway down the line, so I gave it up to Caleb (Joseph)."

Bundy, did you have a chance for a double play there on the comebacker?: "I thought about that after the play, after I got back in the dugout. Yeah. You know, turn around and throw it to second there, see if I can get a double play and get out of there. I saw the runner and I didn't want the run to score, so I got him out."