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Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (pictured) was on his way to his second strong performance in a row when he grabbed at his side and exited Sunday's game with a right oblique strain. That's very bad news for a team that already has called on four Triple-A starters to fill in the fifth slot in the rotation and replace injured Miguel Gonzalez. It was a tough week already, after so-so outings by Jason Hammel, Freddy Garcia and Steve Johnson, and that was reflected in the combined numbers. The rotation posted a 2-2 record with a 6.03 ERA and averaged just five innings per start. Even though the team managed to go 4-2 in those games, this is starting to get scary.
Grade: D (Hannah Foslien / Getty Images /May 12, 2013)
Top Orioles pitching prospect Dylan Bundy has largely cruised through his first minor league season, but he did not find the Lynchburg Hillcats very cooperative Thursday night at Harry Grove Stadium.
Pitching for High-A Frederick, Bundy struggled through the first inning, allowing two hits, a walk and a wild pitch to give up a run. He then labored through the third and gave up two runs on two more hits and a second wild pitch. By the end of the third, he had run up his pitch count to 67 and his ERA from 3.00 to 4.00.
He got the first two outs of the fourth inning before surrendering a solo homer to Hillcats catcher Braeden Schlehuber and giving way to reliever Brandon Erbe. In all, he allowed four runs on five hits and two walks over 3 2/3 innings. He threw 84 pitches, 47 for strikes.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter warned during spring training and early in the season that Bundy would have games like this, which is why they started him out at Class-A Delmarva and moved him up just a half-level after he dominated the South Atlantic League.
