O's game blog: Dylan Bundy faces Atlanta

After their 15-inning win over Atlanta that ended early this morning, the Orioles meet the Braves again this afternoon in the second game of this three-game series. The Orioles need one more win this weekend to take their third road series of 2018. They are 2-9-1 in road series, going 11-29.

Friday night's 10-7 win was the O's sixth consecutive victory over Atlanta. The Braves have not defeated Baltimore since June 15, 2012. The game marked the longest game of the season for the Orioles, surpassing the 14-inning contest April 6 at Yankee Stadium.

Right-hander Alex Cobb, while pitching at SunTrust Park in Cobb County, Ga., allowed just one run on four hits over seven innings. Infielder Steve Wilkerson hit a run-scoring single in the ninth inning for his first major league hit and RBI. The Atlanta-area native made his big league debut on Wednesday at Washington. But he was optioned back to Triple-A today as a reliever was added in lefty Donnie Hart.

Shortstop Manny Machado hit a home run in the top of the 15th inning to give the Orioles the lead. It marked the latest go-ahead homer of his career, besting a 13th-inning blast on Aug. 14, 2015 versus Oakland. Machado's home run marked the latest go-ahead home run for an Oriole since Adam Jones put Baltimore ahead in the 15th inning on May 16, 2012 at Kansas City.

Right-hander Dylan Bundy (5-7, 3.81 ERA) will make his 16th start this afternoon. He gave up four runs over six innings against Miami in his last game. In the two starts before that, he went 15 scoreless on six hits. Bundy has allowed one earned run or fewer seven times.

Bundy is averaging 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings, a career best. But he has also allowed 1.8 homers per nine, a career worst. He has given up 18 homers in 15 starts, and that is one off the league lead. He's given up two or more six times.

Bundy has made seven day-game starts on the season, going 4-1 with a 1.70 ERA, as opposed to being 1-6 with a 6.21 ERA in eight night games. His daytime ERA is the fifth-lowest in the majors (min. 25.0 innings pitched), while his nighttime ERA is 12th-highest in the majors (min. 25.0 IP).

Bundy will be making his eighth career start against the National League, against which he is 5-2 with a 2.89 ERA. He has given up three hits or fewer in five of his seven career starts versus NL teams. and has pitched three quality starts.

Cobb gave the Orioles just their third quality start in the past 11 games last night, and the rotation ERA is 5.43 in that span. But the Orioles have 34 quality starts for the year. That ranks sixth in the American League and tied for eighth in the majors. Bundy is tied for 14th in the AL with nine. But the Orioles' record is only 15-19 in those 34 games.

Right-hander Julio Teheran (5-4, 3.97 ERA) gets the start today for Atlanta. He threw six scoreless against the Padres his last time out. It was his eighth quality start. Teheran is tough on both left- (.222 average against) and right-handed (.191) batters. In seven home starts he is 2-1 with a 4.15 ERA.