Showalter on Bundy's season innings total (plus a game update)

Orioles manager Buck Showalter has seldom mentioned a number as a potential season innings limit for right-hander Dylan Bundy who is pitching today. But the number 180 was mentioned by the skipper during his pregame media session earlier.

Bundy is making his 20th start of the year this afternoon and is 9-8 with an ERA of 4.18. After 11 days of rest he pitched Tuesday and was the last starter used by the club out of the All-Star break, to maximize his rest. Bundy responded with a strong outing against Texas giving up one run over six innings on 100 pitches.

After throwing a total of 109 2/3 innings last season, he passed that total Tuesday and is at 114 innings for the season entering today. That is tied for 15th most in the AL.

"We've got him mapped out through the start of September," Showalter said. "He'll pitch today and probably the fifth day after the off day (Thursday). We'll be easing the throttle a little bit so we can push it again if we need to. I know about where I think he's going to end up (innings-wise) if he stays on schedule.

"Very happy with where he is right now physically and with the innings. He feels about as good as he's felt in a long time. Hope we haven't jinxed it. I think if you look at the fifth day after the off days, that is kind of what we are looking at," Showalter added. "Think it will take him to around 180 (innings), somewhere in there, if everything goes well. And you can still make adjustments in Septmber if you need to when we'll have more pitchers."

Seth Smith is not starting for the Orioles today with a right-hander going for Houston but he's fine physically.

"I want to get (Hyun Soo) Kim out there," Showalter said. "He's (Smith) what 1-for-12 with seven strikeouts off this guy (Houston's Lance McCullers). He's a reverse split guy again and just want to get Kim out there. He's fine physically."

It has been a busy day of transactions on the farm. Outfielder Cedric Mullins was activated off the DL by Double-A Bowie and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski was moved from Bowie back to Triple-A Norfolk. Yaz hit .228 earlier this season at Norfolk, but was batting .386 in 20 games with the Baysox.

O's 2016 top pick, right-hander Cody Sedlock was activated off the DL today to start for the Keys. He's been out since June 26 with a right elbow flexor strain. The Orioles today released Tucker Nathans and Adam Brett Walker.

Today's game: It began with a scoreless first inning. Bundy retired Houston 1-2-3 on 11 pitches. The O's first started with an Adam Jones single and Manny Machado walk. But Jonathan Schoop grounded into a double play and Mark Trumbo bounced to short.

All tied up: The Orioles and Houston were tied 3-3 after two and a half innings. The Orioles loaded the bases with no outs in the second and got three runs. They scored once on Hyun Soo Kim's bases loaded hit by pitch, once when Rubén Tejada bounced into a double play and got a third run on Jones' two-out single to left.

Jones is 2-for-2 and has 1,548 career hits with the Orioles. He moved into 6th on the club's all-time hits list ahead of Nick Markakis. Next up is Boog Powell in fifth at 1,574 hits.

The lead didn't last long at all. Jose Altuve's three-run shot in the third tied it 3-3. That extended his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games.

Not anymore: Trey Mancini's RBI single in the third got the lead back for the Orioles at 4-3. It was his 51st RBI and scored Schoop, who had singled and moved up two bases on groundouts.

Houston in the lead now: The Orioles added to the 4-3 lead and it grew to 6-3 in the fifth on a Chris Davis sac fly and Mancini's RBI double.

But then Houston scored four in the sixth to take a 7-6 lead and knock Bundy from the game. Norichika Aoki's three-run homer off Bundy tied it and a Josh Reddick sac fly put Houston ahead.

Bundy allowed a season-high seven runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. He was replaced by Miguel Castro.