Dylan Bundy: "Just catching too much of the plate" (O's win 8-6)

By Roch Kubatko

Orioles

March 12, 2017, 10:48am

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ORIOLES QUICK WRAP

Score: Orioles 8, Twins 6

Recap: Dylan Bundy lasted only two innings and allowed five runs, all of them coming on two home runs ... Trey Mancini hit a solo home run off Phil Hughes in the second inning and Craig Gentry hit a two-run shot in the third ... Rule 5 pick Anthony Santander hit his second home run in two days ... Jayson Aquino tossed two scoreless innings, though he allowed three hits ... Francisco Pena hit a go-ahead two-run double in the top of the ninth.

Need to know: Bundy threw 56 pitches in two innings and said he couldn't locate his fastball and curveball ... Chris Dickerson made a diving catch in center field in the second, was hit by a pitch in the third and came out of the game ... Rule 5 pick Aneury Tavarez stole second base in the sixth while pinch-running for Hyun Soo Kim and he scored on Chance Sisco's double to left field.

On deck: vs. Phillies in Sarasota, 1:05 p.m.

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FORT MYERS, Fla. - Dylan Bundy couldn't locate his fastball and curveball today, the short explanation for his short outing against the Twins.

Bundy lasted only two innings, throwing 56 pitches, before minor leaguer Ryan Meisinger replaced him in the third and gave up a run. Bundy was charged with five of them on Byron Buxton's homer leading off the bottom of the first and Jorge Polanco's grand slam in the second after the Twins collected three singles.

"Just catching too much of the plate, I guess," Bundy said. "It seemed like everything I threw up there today they were swinging at today, real comfortable in the box. Fastball command was just off, didn't have curveball for strikes. Those two pitches are pretty big for me, so not being able to get those over the plate exactly where I want them makes it a tough day."

Bundy tossed three scoreless innings against the Tigers, but he took a step backward today with a two-inning start.

"It's disappointing, especially since I went three my last one, but I did get the pitch count up today. I don't know what it was, but I'm sure it was up there," he said.

"I threw more sliders today and felt great. Other than that, I felt good."

Maybe an abbreviated, two-homer start wouldn't seem as disturbing if not for the news this morning that Chris Tillman's shoulder discomfort forced the Orioles to abort his bullpen session. But the two shouldn't be connected. Bundy is healthy and just had one of those spring days.

"I guess you can say that," he said. "You're not comfortable saying that. You want better results than that and I thought I should have better results than that with the way my pitches felt today. Just wasn't locating like I should and I'll have to work on it."

The outs also were loud. Chris Gimenez lined to left fielder Hyun Soo Kim and Brian Dozier lined to center fielder Chris Dickerson in the second inning. Dickerson made a diving catch, was hit by a Phil Hughes pitch in the third and was replaced by Joey Rickard in the bottom half of the inning.

Rule 5 pick Anthony Santander hit his second home run in two days, again going to right field and reducing the Twins' lead to 6-4 in the fifth inning. It was a tape-measure blast.

Hughes also has served up home runs to Trey Mancini and Craig Gentry, the latter a two-run shot.

Left-hander Jayson Aquino, squarely in the starter mix with Chris Tillman back on the shelf, has tossed two scoreless innings with three hits allowed and two strikeouts.

If you're wondering about Meisinger, he's a 22-year-old right-hander taken in the 11th round in 2015 out of Radford. He was a combined 6-4 with a 1.57 ERA in 35 relief appearances at Single-A Delmarva and Frederick. He struck out 94 batters and surrendered only three home runs in 74 2/3 innings.