masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgBOSTON – The Orioles have signed Dariel Álvarez, the outfielder-turned-pitcher, to a minor league deal after releasing him on Thursday.
The club also announced the minor league deal with outfielder Michael Bourn, as reported earlier today. Bourn passed his physical and will stay in Sarasota at extended spring training.
Álvarez was let go to make room for pitcher Andrew Faulkner on the 40-man roster after the Orioles acquired the left-hander from the Rangers for a player to be named later…

BOSTON – The Orioles have signed Dariel Álvarez, the outfielder-turned-pitcher, to a minor league deal after releasing him on Thursday.

The club also announced the minor league deal with outfielder Michael Bourn, as reported earlier today. Bourn passed his physical and will stay in Sarasota at extended spring training.

Dariel Alvarez swings white.jpgÁlvarez was let go to make room for pitcher Andrew Faulkner on the 40-man roster after the Orioles acquired the left-hander from the Rangers for a player to be named later or cash. He already was shut down with an elbow injury that most likely would lead to surgery.

Álvarez is 8-for-32 with a home run in 14 games with the Orioles. They decided that his plus-arm could lead him back to the majors as a pitcher, but he never got into a game due to pain in the elbow. He had a couple of bullpen sessions as part of his throwing progression.

The plan called for Álvarez to pitch for low Single-A Delmarva and perhaps reach the majors again next season.

As for tonight’s game, Dylan Bundy made it through the first inning on only 11 pitches and got a 4-6-3 double play from Mookie Betts after a one-out walk to Andrew Benintendi. He fell into immediate trouble in the second on Hanley Ramirez’s leadoff walk and a double by Mitch Moreland that put two runners in scoring position with no outs.

Xander Bogaerts, off the bereavement list today, struck out on a slider after before Pablo Sandoval lined to Trey Mancini in left field. Ramirez tagged and scored, and the Orioles were behind 1-0.

Bundy struck out Chris Young on a curveball, his 35th pitch of the game and 24th of the inning, to keep the score intact. Nice damage control considering the circumstances.

The Orioles wasted Manny Machado’s two-out walk in the first inning and a one-out single by Welington Castillo and Mancini double in the second that put two runners in scoring position. Jonathan Schoop popped out and J.J. Hardy flied out.

Left-hander Drew Pomeranz threw 22 pitches in the first inning and is at 37 heading to the top of the third.

Down on the farm, Mike Wright has allowed five runs and seven hits in four innings at Triple-A Norfolk. He’s also thrown 79 pitches and isn’t a consideration to make Saturday’s start in Toronto.

Update: Dustin Pedroia’s sacrifice fly in the fifth inning after a one-out single by Chris Young and double by Christian Vázquez gave Boston a 2-0 lead. Bundy has thrown 81 pitches.

Pomeranz has retired 11 in a row.

Update II: The Orioles finally scored in the seventh on singles by Chris Davis and Welington Castillo and Jonathan Schoop’s fielder’s choice grounder.

Update III: Dylan Bundy threw a career-high 106 pitches in 6 1/3 innings, but he was charged with three of the five runs scored by the Red Sox. He allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out three.

Darren O’Day was charged with two runs and three hits in two-thirds of an inning, but the Orioles committed two errors in the seventh.

J.J. Hardy booted a double play ball that should have ended the inning and right fielder Craig Gentry missed the cutoff man on Andrew Benintendi’s RBI single. Two runs scored on Dustin Pedroia’s ground ball up the middle that Hardy could only deflect.