O's game blog: Road trip ends in Detroit (Orioles lose 6-5)

A road trip that has seen the Orioles lose five of six games ends this afternoon at Comerica Park, as the Orioles and Detroit Tigers wrap up a three-game series. The Orioles won 13-11 in 13 innings Tuesday night and lost 5-4 last night.

After beginning the year 8-1 in one-run games, the Orioles are 8-6. All five losses on this trip have been by a run, while the one win was by two runs. In fact, the Orioles have played eight straight games decided by one or two runs, going 3-5. The last game not decided by that close of a margin was their 4-0 win over the White Sox on May 7.

On the mound today, right-hander Dylan Bundy (5-1, 2.26 ERA) makes his ninth start and Detroit right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (3-2, 6.28 ERA) makes his seventh.

Bundy has recorded eight straight quality starts to begin his season and is tied for the major league lead. Only Bundy and Detroit's Michael Fulmer have thrown a quality start in every game they've pitched this season (minimum three starts). Bundy also ranks tied for fifth in the majors in wins (five) and eighth in ERA (2.26). He ranks fifth in the American League in WHIP (1.03), eighth in homers/nine innings innings (0.70) and 12th in innings pitched (51 2/3).

No other O's starter has more than three quality starts, and that is Wade Miley. Bundy has given up two runs or less six times and exactly three runs two times. The Orioles are 6-2 in his 2017 starts.

Over their last seven games, the Orioles have just one quality start and the rotation ERA is 6.19. In the last four games, O's starters have covered just 17 2/3 innings and have gone five innings or less five times on the road trip.

Zimmermann is having a poor season and has given up four runs or more five times. Over 38 2/3 innings, he has yielded 51 hits, including nine home runs, with 13 walks, 22 strikeouts and a .327 batting average against. He has just one quality start and is 2-4 with a 5.82 ERA and 1.500 WHIP in seven career starts against the Orioles over 38 2/3 innings.

O's hitters lead the majors with a batting average of .316 with runners in scoring position. Outfielder Adam Jones leads the majors with a .476 (10-for-21) batting average with runners in scoring position.

Orioles catchers lead the majors with a .333 batting average. Welington Castillo, Caleb Joseph and Francisco Peña have combined to produce 11 doubles, a triple, five home runs, and 20 RBIs. Castillo is 6-for-10 in this series. He is 12-for-25 over his past five games. Joseph, who gets the start today, is 11-for-21 over his past five games, with three doubles, a triple, a homer and six RBIs.

Since hitting just one homer in a 24-game span between April 15 and May 10, Chris Davis is 7-for-15 over his past four games with four home runs and seven RBIs.

In 2016, the Orioles went 23-9 against teams from the American League Central; this year, that mark is 4-4. They are 3-0 against the White Sox, 0-3 versus the Royals and 1-1 against Detroit.

The Orioles own the best home record in the majors with a 13-3 (.813) mark. They return home on Friday for a six-game homestand against the Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins. Beginning Friday, the Orioles will play 15 of their next 18 games at home.

Road trip ends with loss: The Orioles lost yet another one-run game today, falling 6-5 in the series and road trip finale at Detroit. They went 1-6 on the trip with all six losses by one run.

Losing pitcher Bundy gave up a season-high six runs and eight hits over six innings and is 5-2 with an ERA of 2.97. This was the first time on the season he did not record a quality start.

Davis, Jones and Seth Smith homered for the Orioles, who have hit 21 in their past 11 games. Davis has hit five homers over his past five games.

Now the Orioles return to Baltimore and begin a series with Toronto at Oriole Park on Friday night. That will be the start of a six-game homestand.