Wrapping up a 3-2 win and the end of a losing streak

You could not actually see it, but no doubt some weight was lifted off the collective shoulders of about 25 Orioles players here this afternoon. They ended a seven-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the New York Yankees in front of 40,242 at Camden Yards.

Reporters have trudged over to reliever Darren O'Day's locker in the last two weeks under less happy occasions, as he duly noted.

"First of all, it's nice to be talking to you guys without us losing the game. I appreciate the interview," he said with the typical O'Day wit working strong.

Yeah, this one was a bit of a stress and tension reliever for a team that had lost seven straight one-run games and had fallen 4 1/2 back of New York in the American League East.

"A losing streak going there, so it magnifies everything," O'Day said. "Everybody's watching, waiting for that win, so to win a tight one, it means a lot. I think there's a confidence in this room that we can come back from anything. Today was a good start down that path."

Right-hander Dylan Bundy set the tone and served as a stopper this afternoon. He gave up seven hits and two runs over seven innings. He recorded a quality start for the 10th time in 11 outings. But he said he didn't take the mound thinking about being the guy to stop the team's longest losing streak since they lost nine straight from July 4-15, 2011.

"I mean, I just go out there and try to pitch my game and stick to my strengths and compete," Bundy said. "And just keep the team in the game and we were able to do that today. I don't know if we had to have a win today, but, yeah, you want to win every single day. You know, we were scuffling for a week or so or two weeks. But we're ready to play every single day, so we'll be ready tomorrow."

Bundy is now 6-3 with an ERA of 2.89 after a 95-pitch outing, his lowest pitch total of the year. He is 4-1 with a 2.23 ERA in six home starts.

Manager Buck Showalter noted his team got nine innings of solid work from three pitchers. O'Day pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Brad Brach a 1-2-3 ninth to gain his 10th save. The relievers retired the first six in the New York order, getting three strikeouts.

"Dylan was really good," Showalter said. "I thought Darren and Brad were about as good as ... Darren, his last three or four outings, you can tell he's getting extension. He's not having any repercussions of some of the things he was challenged with. Brad was about as good as you want to see him."

New York was held to seven hits and batted just three in an inning six times as the Orioles turned three double plays.

For a change, the Orioles worked the pitch count of the opposing starter. Losing pitcher Jordan Montgomery gave up three runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings, throwing 100 pitches.

"We did a real good job against Montgomery," Showalter said. "(Joey) Rickard, a guy I want to mention, he saw close to 30 pitches today. The way we grinded him is very similar to the way we've been getting it done to us. Jon (Schoop) had a big hit going the other way. I like the fact, he's had some challenges in his career against left-handed pitchers, (but) you could tell he had an approach there he was going to hit him the other way. Jon, I think, is second on the club in RBIs."

Schoop drove a 1-1 fastball to right in the third and doubled to plate two runs for a 3-1 lead. Mark Trumbo's RBI single in the first had given the Orioles an early 1-0 lead.

"Every time you lose, it's difficult - we lost like (seven) in a row - but you never think about it," Schoop said. "We come back today just like we were winning. Forgot everything in the past and tried to win today. And the same thing is going to happen tomorrow. Flushing out today and trying to win tomorrow."

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones was a late scratch from the lineup, missing a third straight game with left ankle and hip soreness. The Orioles are trying to avoid a trip to the disabled list for Jones.

"We kind of met and felt like it would be good to give him another day," Showalter said. "And then, with the big turnaround from today into tomorrow night. And if we still have an issue there, we probably need to think about some other direction."