IronBirds game blog: Dylan Bundy makes second Aberdeen start tonight (Fans nine in five innings)
ABERDEEN, Md. - Dylan Bundy will make his second rehab outing tonight for short-season Single-A Aberdeen as the IronBirds host Brooklyn. This will be Bundy's first career appearance at Ripken Stadium.
The 21-year-old right-hander threw 65 pitches and went five innings last Sunday night at Hudson Valley. He gave up five hits and one run with no walks and six strikeouts. Hudson Valley came up with a single, ground-rule double and RBI groundout to push across a run in the third inning.
Bundy, who was sitting from 91-93 mph with his fastball in that game, did not allow a hit with a runner in scoring position as Hudson Valley went 0-for-7.
Bundy is expected to make one more start here with Aberdeen - scheduled for June 27 - and then the Orioles will evaluate and plan his next step after that outing.
O's executive vice president Dan Duquette and director of player development Brian Graham are here to watch Bundy tonight. Graham said the quality of Bundy's pitches should continue to get better as he throws more innings.
"Touch and feel and command is usually the last part of pitching to return," Graham said. "With Dylan, it's just about getting innings right now. Just needs to get innings in this competitive setting."
The Orioles are certainly not too worried about the radar gun readings right now.
"I don't think that is something we need to evaluate right now," Graham said. "His velocity is at a good place and I would anticipate it being higher at some point over the next month. He's fine right now.
"The velocity comes back to a certain degree (this year) and next spring you're going to see a really good-looking pitcher. You'll see the Dylan Bundy of before and that is consistent with everyone that has had this injury. There is a track record for guys who have had this injury. He's on track."
The IronBirds are off to a tough 1-7 start. They have played seven one-run games, losing six of the seven. While their pitchers have a 2.84 team ERA to rank seventh in the league, Aberdeen has scored just 21 runs so far.
Catcher Alex Murphy, out of Calvert Hall in Baltimore, is batting .375 (12-for-32) and hit his first Aberdeen homer last night.
Bundy fans five in two innings: Bundy has had an overpowering start to his night here in Aberdeen, retiring the first six Brooklyn batter, including five on strikeouts.
He threw eight of 11 pitches for strikes in the first when he fanned the first two hitters and ended the inning with a groundout.
He struck out the side in the second, throwing 10 of 14 pitches for strikes. His fastball has touched 93 on the stadium radar gun a few times and he mixed in some nice off-speed pitches in the second inning.
Bundy now through four: Bundy gave up his first two hits in the fourth inning, but has held Brooklyn off the board as the game went to the last of the fourth tied 0-0.
After getting three quick outs on nine pitches in the third, Brooklyn's Tucker Tharp led off the fourth with a solid single to left and he then stole second. He advanced to third on a pitch in the dirt, but then was cut down at home on a pitch that got by catcher Jonah Heim.
Heim got to the ball and Bundy applied the tag at home on Tharp. Bundy gave up a two-out double, but stranded that runner on his seventh strikeout of the game.
Bundy out after the fifth: He gave up a one-out walk - his first of the night - but struck two more batters in the fifth. Bundy got one looking when he broke off a sharp 74 mph curveball.
Bundy has been sharp and pitch-efficient here tonight with his fastball sitting mostly 90-92 with some 93s and 94s mixed in.
Bundy is done tonight after his five-inning outing. Nik Nowottnick has come on to pitch in the sixth. Bundy threw 64 pitches, 45 strikes, by my count.
Bundy through five: 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk and 9 strikeouts.
In two Aberdeen starts, he has pitched 10 innings, allowing seven hits and one run with one walk and 15 strikeouts.
Givens moving to Double-A: Right-handed pitcher Mychal Givens is moving from Single-A Frederick to Double-A Bowie. That move came after tonight's game where Frederick lost 12-2 at Carolina.
The Orioles' second-round pick in the 2009 draft was converted from shortstop to the mound last year. He is 1-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 18 games with Frederick this season. Over 33 1/3 innings, he has given up just 21 hits with 16 walks and 27 strikeouts.
Bundy, who was sitting from 91-93 mph with his fastball in that game, did not allow a hit with a runner in scoring position as Hudson Valley went 0-for-7.
Bundy is expected to make one more start here with Aberdeen - scheduled for June 27 - and then the Orioles will evaluate and plan his next step after that outing.
O's executive vice president Dan Duquette and director of player development Brian Graham are here to watch Bundy tonight. Graham said the quality of Bundy's pitches should continue to get better as he throws more innings.
"Touch and feel and command is usually the last part of pitching to return," Graham said. "With Dylan, it's just about getting innings right now. Just needs to get innings in this competitive setting."
The Orioles are certainly not too worried about the radar gun readings right now.
"I don't think that is something we need to evaluate right now," Graham said. "His velocity is at a good place and I would anticipate it being higher at some point over the next month. He's fine right now.
"The velocity comes back to a certain degree (this year) and next spring you're going to see a really good-looking pitcher. You'll see the Dylan Bundy of before and that is consistent with everyone that has had this injury. There is a track record for guys who have had this injury. He's on track."
The IronBirds are off to a tough 1-7 start. They have played seven one-run games, losing six of the seven. While their pitchers have a 2.84 team ERA to rank seventh in the league, Aberdeen has scored just 21 runs so far.
Catcher Alex Murphy, out of Calvert Hall in Baltimore, is batting .375 (12-for-32) and hit his first Aberdeen homer last night.
Bundy fans five in two innings: Bundy has had an overpowering start to his night here in Aberdeen, retiring the first six Brooklyn batter, including five on strikeouts.
He threw eight of 11 pitches for strikes in the first when he fanned the first two hitters and ended the inning with a groundout.
He struck out the side in the second, throwing 10 of 14 pitches for strikes. His fastball has touched 93 on the stadium radar gun a few times and he mixed in some nice off-speed pitches in the second inning.
Bundy now through four: Bundy gave up his first two hits in the fourth inning, but has held Brooklyn off the board as the game went to the last of the fourth tied 0-0.
After getting three quick outs on nine pitches in the third, Brooklyn's Tucker Tharp led off the fourth with a solid single to left and he then stole second. He advanced to third on a pitch in the dirt, but then was cut down at home on a pitch that got by catcher Jonah Heim.
Heim got to the ball and Bundy applied the tag at home on Tharp. Bundy gave up a two-out double, but stranded that runner on his seventh strikeout of the game.
Bundy out after the fifth: He gave up a one-out walk - his first of the night - but struck two more batters in the fifth. Bundy got one looking when he broke off a sharp 74 mph curveball.
Bundy has been sharp and pitch-efficient here tonight with his fastball sitting mostly 90-92 with some 93s and 94s mixed in.
Bundy is done tonight after his five-inning outing. Nik Nowottnick has come on to pitch in the sixth. Bundy threw 64 pitches, 45 strikes, by my count.
Bundy through five: 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk and 9 strikeouts.
In two Aberdeen starts, he has pitched 10 innings, allowing seven hits and one run with one walk and 15 strikeouts.
Givens moving to Double-A: Right-handed pitcher Mychal Givens is moving from Single-A Frederick to Double-A Bowie. That move came after tonight's game where Frederick lost 12-2 at Carolina.
The Orioles' second-round pick in the 2009 draft was converted from shortstop to the mound last year. He is 1-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 18 games with Frederick this season. Over 33 1/3 innings, he has given up just 21 hits with 16 walks and 27 strikeouts.
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