BALTIMORE (AP) — Dylan Bundy had a difficult time on the mound and an easy explanation for his horrid, record-setting performance.
“I was leaving pitches right down the middle and they were hitting them over the fence,” the right-hander said, matter-of-factly.
Bundy yielded four homers and left without getting an out, part of a 10-run first inning that propelled the Kansas City Royals past the hapless Baltimore Orioles 15-7 Tuesday night.
Jon Jay started the onslaught with a leadoff single before Jorge Soler, Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez homered in succession.
Two walks and a home run by Alex Gordon followed, ending Bundy’s night after just 28 pitches. It marked the first time in the current era (1908-present) that a pitcher gave up four home runs during an outing in which he did not retire a batter, according to baseball-reference.com.
After compiling a 1.42 ERA after his first five starts, Bundy has given up 19 earned runs over his last three games to inflate his ERA to 5.31.
“Physically, I’m fine,” he insisted. “I’m just not executing the pitches I need to right now.”
Following Bundy’s departure, the Royals did not let up.
Alcides Escobar greeted Mike Wright with a single, the eighth straight batter to reach base. After No. 9 hitter Ryan Goins grounded out, many disgruntled fans in the crowd of 10,863 mustered a mock cheer. Minutes later, however, Moustakas singled in two runs and Perez capped the uprising with a sacrifice fly.
Moustakas finished with three hits, two homers and five RBIs to help KC reach season highs in runs and hits (20). Gordon had four hits and three RBIs, and Soler also drove in three runs.
The outburst took manager Ned Yost by complete surprise.
“You never know something like this is coming,” he said. “I mean, 20 hits. You just take it when you can get it.”
Nearly half those 20 hits came in the first inning, when KC sent 14 batters to the plate.
“It was a lot of fun,” Moustakas said. “You know, once it came back around to the top of the order, that was pretty awesome. I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of that before.”
Chris Davis, Danny Valencia and Caleb Joseph hit solo homers for the Orioles, who were seeking to rebound from a second straight 0-6 road trip.
“We’re not just sitting around going, ’Well, it’s just one of those things,’” manager Buck Showalter said. “We’re grinding every day, the players especially. I have confidence that we have good people and it will turn at some point. Maybe tomorrow.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: RHP Justin Grimm (lower back stiffness) is “getting better,” Yost said, offering no timetable for his return.
Orioles: 2B Jonathan Schoop was activated from the disabled list after spending three weeks trying to recover from a strained right oblique. He hit a two-run single in the ninth.
ANOTHER RECORD
The four homers in one inning tied a Royals record. It was the third time it happened, the last previously in 2001. The 10-run inning was KC’s most since it put up a 10-spot against Cleveland in August 2006.
UP NEXT
Royals: KC can win its second series of the season with a victory Wednesday night behind Erik Skoglund (1-2, 6.84 ERA), who’s 0-2 with a 12.06 ERA in five career outings on the road.
Orioles: Andrew Cashner (1-4, 4.89) tries to get Baltimore its first win in more than a week.
Photo credit – Patrick Semansky / Associated Press / Baltimore, MD