Dylan Bundy would have been in line to record the Baltimore Orioles’ first quality start of 2019 this afternoon in the Bronx. After a three hour and twenty minute rain delay to start the game, Bundy was masterful. The only reason he didn’t get a quality start was due to a very high pitch count. Bundy’s line: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 5 BB, 7 K.
The O’s jumped all over NY early on. Renato Nunez smacked a three-run homer in the first inning. Trey Mancini would add a solo shot in the third. And we were off to the races!
While Bundy looked very good today (his three surrendered runs crossed after he left the game), the real star of the show was reliever John Means. When Bundy loaded the bases in the fourth, Means entered to mop up. Means would walk in a run, and allow a two-RBI single to Judge. But he limited the damage as best he could.
And…he pitched the Orioles through into the later innings. And in a division game that figured to be close, that’s a huge service done for the team. And on a day when the team earned a big win, that made a massive difference.
Dwight Smith Jr. would add an RBI-single in the fifth, but NY’s Sanchez would smack a solo homer in the seventh. However as I said yesterday, often these games come down to insurance runs. And the Orioles got them today.
Those insurance runs came in the form of a three-run homer in the eighth inning by Joey Rickard. That extended the Orioles’ lead to 7-4. While NY would threaten in the ninth and tack on a run, Bird was the word in the Bronx today.
For what it’s worth, the Orioles took two-of- three in this series. The season is very young. That goes without saying. But how many people saw this coming? Very few, that’s for sure. And again, the key guy in this one was John Means. Incredible effort. But it was an overall team effort as well. And that’s how big wins are supposed to be.
The O’s now head to Toronto where they’ll open up a three-game set at Rogers Centre. David Hess gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Sean Reid-Foley. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.
Birdland Crush 
Still early but last season the opening series set the tone for the season. Any chance same here?
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Sure there’s always a chance. This was a good weekend and a good series to start things off for the new regime for sure. But keep in mind that this team is still very young, and their chief competition are all veterans. So it’s a very tough road. Thanks for reading!
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