O's game blog: Bundy on mound in series opener against Yankees

Well, the Orioles have a good record at home this season and a good record versus American League East teams. So maybe returning home to play their next seven against the AL East will serve as a tonic for the club right now.

At 25-23, the Orioles host the first-place New York Yankees this afternoon to celebrate Memorial Day and begin a three-game series. They'll host Boston for four games starting Thursday.

The Orioles are 15-7 at home (.682, third-best in majors), even though they've lost their past four at Oriole Park. They are 17-10 (.630) against the AL East and 8-13 (.381) against every other team in 2017. That is the best record by an AL East team in division games.

The Yankees lead the division by three games over Boston, 4 1/2 games over the Orioles, five games over Tampa Bay and by 7 1/2 games over Toronto. New York's three-game lead is its largest since 3 1/2 games on Aug. 7, 2015.

The Yankees are 29-18 overall, 12-8 versus the AL East and 14-10 in May. Since reaching a high-water mark of 12 games over .500 (21-9 on May 8), the Yankees are 8-9. The Yankees plus-58 run differential is third-best in the majors behind the Dodgers at plus-78 and Astros at plus-66.

Right-hander Dylan Bundy (5-3, 2.92 ERA) today makes his 11th start. He has recorded a team-leading nine quality starts and that is tied for second-best in the majors. The Orioles are 6-4 in his starts. He has allowed two earned runs or less seven times. In five starts at Camden Yards, Bundy is 3-1 with a 2.16 ERA and .215 batting average against. His home ERA ranks fifth in the AL.

In six starts versus AL East opponents, he is 4-1 with a 1.82 ERA. But he is facing New York for the first time this season this afternoon.

Left-hander Jordan Montgomery (2-3, 4.30 ERA) will be making his ninth start for the Yankees. The 24-year-old was a fourth-round draft pick in 2014 out of the University of South Carolina.

Ranked as New York's No. 13 prospect by Baseball America, Montgomery is 1-2 with a 4.58 ERA in three road starts. He has four quality starts and the Yankees are 3-5 in his outings.

He pitched against the Orioles on April 30 and did not get a decision in a 7-4 Orioles win. Over five innings and 92 pitches he gave up three hits and three runs.

New York's Aaron Judge is batting .321 with 16 homers, 34 RBIs and an OPS of 1.102. He has hit 25 percent of his home runs against Baltimore pitching. In six games, he is batting .438 with four homers, seven RBIs and an OPS of 1.813.

The Orioles are 3-3 against New York on the season and have been outscored 46-36. Since the start of 2015, the home team has gone 30-14 in 44 matchups between the Orioles and Yankees. The home team is 12-2 in those 14 series.

Most wins in AL since 2012:
469 - Orioles
464 - New York
459 - Texas
454 - Detroit

Happy Birthday to the Dean!

Wishing a happy 90th birthday to the dean of Baltimore sports, Vince Bagli. The definition of a gentleman, so proud to know him! pic.twitter.com/6rXZzbFzmp

-- Pete Gilbert (@WBALPete) May 29, 2017