O's game blog: Dylan Bundy faces New York in series opener

Now sitting four games out in third place in the American League East and tied for the second AL wild card with Detroit, the Orioles begin a three-game series with the Yankees tonight at Camden Yards.

The Orioles (72-61) just lost two of three to Toronto and have lost five straight AL East series after going 9-2-1 in their first 12 division series of the season. The Yankees (69-63) are in fourth in the AL East, 6 1/2 games out and are 2 1/2 back of the Orioles for that second wild card.

The Yankees have won six of eight and are 13-7 their last 20 games. That includes last weekend, when they took two of three from the Orioles, scoring 27 runs in the first two games of that series. New York went 17-11 in August, its best month since going 17-7 in July 2015.

The Orioles are 6-7 versus New York but 4-2 at home this season. The Orioles are 11-4 at home against the Yankees since 2015 and are 24-10 at Camden Yards against them since 2013.

Tonight's pitching matchup is a rematch of last Saturday in the Bronx, when New York won 13-5. Right-hander Dylan Bundy (7-5, 3.71 ERA) makes his 10th start, pitching against right-hander Chad Green (2-3, 4.09 ERA).

Bundy gave up five runs in four innings last weekend at Yankee Stadium. Over his last three starts, he has pitched to an ERA of 7.54, allowing 12 earned runs and four homers over 14 1/3. In his first six starts of the year he went 4-2 with a 2.76 ERA.

Green allowed seven hits and four runs over 4 2/3 innings against the Orioles in that last outing. In his two previous starts, he had given up one run over 12 innings against the Jays and Angels with one walk and 16 strikeouts. In five road games, Green is 1-3 with a 4.88 ERA.

Over his last 15 games, Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez is batting .441 (26-for-59) with six doubles, nine homers and 15 RBIs. In three games against the Orioles last weekend, he went 6-for-12 with two homers and five RBIs. But in New York's most recent three-game series at Kansas City he was 3-for-15 with no homers or RBIs.

Farm notes: As his brother gets set to start tonight, right-hander Bobby Bundy is on the move on the farm. Bundy today was promoted from Double-A Bowie to Triple-A Norfolk. In 35 games with the Baysox, he is 3-1 with a 3.51 ERA. In 10 games since the All-Star break, he has an ERA of 2.84. Over 12 2/3 innings, Bundy has walked one and fanned 16.

With the Orioles' Rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate season now over, a few players have been moved from the GCL to short-season Single-A Aberdeen for the final weekend of the minor league regular season.

They are right-handed pitcher Joe Johnson, catcher Alfredo Gonzalez, infielder Seamus Curran and lefty Nick Vespi. Also, Aberdeen catcher Jerry McClanahan has moved to Single-A Frederick.

The Orioles have named Single-A Delmarva left-hander Brian Gonzalez as the organization's Pitcher of the Month for August. Delmarva outfielder Randolph Gassaway is the Player of the Month.

In August, Gonzalez went 3-2 with a 2.29 ERA over six starts. On the year, he is 10-8 with a 2.55 ERA in 26 starts for the Shorebirds. Gassaway hit .356 in 28 games in the month with seven homers, 15 RBIs and an OPS of 1.035. On the season, he is batting .330 with seven homers and 17 RBIs in 50 games for the Shorebirds.