O's hit four homers, put Rays to bed in blowout

BALTIMORE -- The indication that the Orioles are tearing down shop didn't reach the lineup this past series against Tampa Bay. The Baltimore offense erupted once again Sunday, routing the Rays in an 11-5 win to make it a combined 37 runs in three of four wins in the series.
It was on the back of two homers from Chris Davis, Jonathan Schoop's seventh home run in his last nine games, Austin Wynns' second career homer and, to top it all off, a much-needed bounce-back performance from Dylan Bundy.
"I think we caught Tampa with their pitching a little bit down. But every time it looked like they were going to get back in it, the guys answered," manager Buck Showalter said.
While the bats continued their breaths of new life Sunday, the eyes were all on Bundy. The righty has had his name brought up in trade talks recently as the Orioles head into a rebuild. But being under team control until 2021, Bundy's place may instead be at the forefront of the rebuild, not an afterthought.
"You just have to go out there and play," Bundy said of limiting the distractions. "There's people coming and going all the time in the clubhouse. You just have to go out there and perform and try to win a ballgame."
Bundy allowed just four hits -- albeit three solo homers, two to C.J. Cron -- in seven innings Sunday -- his first outing since June 23 where he didn't allow five runs. In the 2018 season, Bundy has already matched his home run total of 26 from 2017.

"It's frustrating for Dylan because he doesn't want to be giving up anything," Showalter said. "I've talked to him about it. You go back and look at every one of them, it's a mistake. But there's something to be said for them being solo especially in this ballpark, the way the ball was flying out of here today."
While the Orioles will be pleased to see Bundy showing positive signs, it's comes at a time when the organization has said goodbye to Brad Brach, who was traded to Atlanta after the game for international signing money.
Sunday also could have been the final time several other Orioles showed up to Camden Yards as members of the home team with Tuesday's non-waiver Trade Deadline looming. Danny Valencia, Schoop, Kevin Gausman and Bundy are the likeliest of candidates, while it was announced Adam Jones will not be traded before Tuesday.
But the Orioles' offense didn't get the memo it could potentially be reimagined in the coming days.
"We used to be good at that," Showalter said of the offense never ceasing to pounce. "So it's good to see that coming out where we answered and expanded on the leads." 
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Jones sets the tone early: Jones drew a walk in the first inning after falling behind 1-2, but the veteran wasn't done making his presence known that inning. He broke up a potential inning-ending double play with a hard slide into second, scoring a run and giving additional breath to the inning. Next batter up, Davis hit the first of his two homers on the day to make it a 3-0 Orioles first inning.

Schoop doesn't quit: Schoop saw the MLB record for most consecutive games with a home run for a second baseman get stolen at the wall last night, so he made up for it Sunday. He sent a three-run shot to deep left-center field to put a final dagger in the Rays. It was his seventh homer in the past nine games.

SOUND SMART
Bundy conceded 26 homers in 169 2/3 innings pitched in 2017. In 2018, he's matched that total in 114 1/3 innings pitched.
Jones stole his 85th base in an Orioles jersey in the second inning Sunday, tying him with Don Buford for 10th all time on the Orioles' list.
YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
It's Joey Rickard's world, and we're all just living in it. On a Jace Peterson RBI single, the outfielder tried to take third on a throw home. The throw from Michael Perez arrived ahead of him, but Rickard utilized a nifty slide to avoid the tag.

MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY
Wynns' first homer in his second career game came uncontested in Toronto; but his first homer at Camden Yards didn't. He hit a Statcast™ projected 365 foot homer to left, but a fan had touched the ball near the left-field wall to draw the attention of the umpire crew chief. Upon review, it was deemed the ball was a home run regardless if the fan touched it.

HE SAID IT
"Sometimes [the game] bites you in the [rear end]. My man Jim Thome going into the Hall of Fame had a famous line he told me in 2012, 'You're either the bug or the windshield. Which one are you going to be?' Sometimes a little often this year we've been the bug, but the last few days we've been the windshield. Shows the potential in what we can really do when we are swinging bats well together." -- Jones, on the Orioles' offense
UP NEXT
After an off-day Monday, Yefry Ramirez will face off against his former organization in the Yankees for the second time this season. Ramirez, who will be opposed by Masahiro Tanaka, earned the first win of his Major League career last time out but was roughed up in his worst start of the season his only other outing against New York. First pitch Tuesday is set for 7:05 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium.