SALISBURY, Md. - After another outing where he was dominant and once again didn't allow a single baserunner, Dylan Bundy said he is not looking down the road for a possible promotion within the Orioles farm system. He said for now, the Orioles have not said if or when he will move to a higher level.
"Nope. I really don't even want to get into that," Bundy said. "It's whatever they decide and I'm happy with it. I'm happy here, getting all my innings in, getting used to pro ball and working on my secondary pitches."
Bundy retired all 12 batters he faced tonight - six on strikeouts - as the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds beat Greenville 4-2. He threw 44 pitches, which included three curveballs and about 10 changeups. His fastball ranged from 96 to 98 mph and Bundy has now pitched 13 shutout and hitless innings as a pro with one walk and 21 strikeouts.
Four different South Atlantic League teams are now a combined 0-for-39 at bat against him.
"People say I'm not being challenged, but I'm being challenged by working on my secondary pitches and developing myself as a better pitcher," Bundy said. "It might not look like they are challenging me but they really are. They are live batters and I'm working on my secondary pitches as well and command of the fastball.
"You can't be worried what might happen in two months. You never know what is going to happen tomorrow. You have to take it day-by-day and get your work in. They have a plan for me and I'm fine with it."
Does he take pride in not allowing a hit so far?
"I wouldn't call it that," he said. "That is my goal every outing, to compete."
Bundy feels he has made solid progress with his changeup.
"Definitely, I feel like I can throw that pitch anytime I want right now, just like a fastball," Bundy said. "The kind of movement I want is not exactly there. Sometimes it will get more run than sinking, but that is what I'm working out right now.
"I felt really good. I had all three pitches working tonight, my fastball, curveball and changeup. I think I threw a lot more changeups than curveballs tonight. That is what they want me to work on and that is what I'm doing."
He was asked to compare this outing to his other three.
"This was just as good obviously but I got up (in the zone) at times when I didn't mean to but all the pitches felt good tonight," Bundy said. "Being able to get to the fourth inning finally was a good feeling."
Delmarva pitching coach Troy Mattes said it was a good night for Bundy's changeup. They have been working hard with him to improve that pitch and he has made solid progress with it from his first start to tonight.
"The biggest thing for me was those eight to 10 changeups he threw," Mattes said. "Just aggressive with the changeup. Righties, lefties, it didn't matter. Did a great job of mixing it in and overall just pitching tonight. More than just working on it, he was throwing it in fastball counts.
"He knows at most lower levels he could dominate with the fastball but it's a good opportunity here to work on all his pitches. His curveball hasn't been extremely sharp. Right now he's getting a feel for his changeup and tonight was the most confident and comfortable he's been with it.
"He is learning not just to throw it. But how to throw it, why to throw it, when to throw it. We saw with Zach Britton where he was getting to Double-A and Triple-A and learning how to throw the changeup and why. We are speeding up the process with Dylan."
Delmarva improved to 10-8 with this win which began a six-game homestand for the Shorebirds. After Bundy, Zach Davies pitched two shutout innings and Miguel Chalas gave up two runs over the last three innings but got the win.
Nicky Delmonico's two-run single in the last of the eighth broke a 2-2 tie and was part of a three-RBI night for the Orioles' 2011 sixth-round pick.
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