O's game blog: Dylan Bundy faces the Blue Jays

The Orioles took a 4-3 lead to the eighth inning last night. But the game got away from a bullpen that posted an American League-best 2.91 ERA since Aug. 20. Toronto tied the game in the eighth and scored four in the ninth for an 8-5 win.

Toronto (60-91) took the opener of a three-game series. It was the opener of the Orioles' six-game homestand, their final homestand of 2019. Baltimore (49-102) is 3-4 over the last seven games but just 4-12 in September. The Birds are 23-53 at home and 7-7 against Toronto.

Even with last night's misstep, the Baltimore bullpen leads the AL and is second in the majors with a 3.13 ERA since Aug. 20. In that span, O's relievers have recorded 105 strikeouts and 37 walks for a 2.84 SO/BB ratio, the sixth-best mark in the AL. Right-hander Miguel Castro owns a 1.23 ERA in his last 14 games. Since the All-Star break, Castro has made a team-high 27 appearances out of the bullpen with a 2.30 ERA over 27 1/3 innings.

Trey Mancini went 2-for-4 last night with a two-run homer and four-RBI night. Over his past five games he is 9-for-23 with four homers and 11 RBIs. Mancini leads the Orioles with 34 home runs and 33 doubles and is one of seven players in the majors, and four in the AL, with 34 or more home runs and 33 or more doubles. If Mancini finishes the season with at least 35 home runs and 35 doubles, it would be the seventh such season in Orioles history (Rafael Palmeiro 1996 and 1998, Brady Anderson 1996, Albert Belle 1999, Chris Davis 2013 and Manny Machado 2016).

Right-hander Dylan Bundy (6-14, 4.99 ERA) will make his 29th start tonight. For the year Bundy has thrown 149 2/3 innings, allowing 153 hits with 51 walks and 148 strikeouts. He has a WHIP of 1.363 and allows 9.2 hits per nine with 1.7 home runs, 3.1 walks and 8.9 strikeouts.

In six August starts, Bundy posted a 4.11 ERA and gave up three homers over 35 innings with a .258 batting average against. In two September starts he has an ERA of 5.40 and has allowed two homers over 11 2/3 innings with a .286 average against.

in 16 home starts, Bundy is 2-9 with a 5.10 ERA and 1.417 WHIP and the Orioles are 4-12 in those games. In two 2019 starts versus Toronto, Bundy is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA with three walks and 13 strikeouts over 12 innings.

Right-hander Clay Buchholz (1-5, 5.63 ERA) starts for Toronto. Over his past two starts he has allowed 14 hits and seven earned runs over 10 innings with one walk, seven strikeouts and a .333 average against. The team is 3-6 in his nine starts for the season and he has not started this year against Baltimore.

The Blue Jays have won five of seven games since their season-long, seven-game losing streak. They have won eight times over their last 26 games and are now 26-34 since the All-Star break. Toronto has a chance tonight to win three straight series for the first time this year.