Bauer working to find consistency

BALTIMORE -- Trevor Bauer's Sunday stat line doesn't read poorly, but it could have been a lot worse.

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Bauer (6-5, 3.96 ERA) gave up four runs on five hits, including two home runs, in a 4-0 loss to the Orioles in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader. But even when the Orioles were getting outs, they were making solid contact.

"They hit eight or nine balls hard," Bauer said. "Usually I give up eight or nine hard-hit balls in the course of two or three games."

The right-hander got off to a good start, facing just one batter over the minimum through the first two innings. He did run into trouble in the third inning when he gave up a two-run homer to Jimmy Paredes.

"I actually thought the home run to Paredes was fine," Bauer said. "I wanted to get ahead in that situation and he caught a fastball. That's fine. Home runs don't bother me really. What bothers me is the fact that I missed with the pitch I gave up a single [to Caleb Joseph] on before that."

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Indians manager Terry Francona said he thought Bauer's pitches were up on Sunday, but he rebounded well, striking out the side in the fourth, and also recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the fifth despite all three outs being recorded on hard-hit liners.

Even though he wasn't frustrated with the Paredes homer, Bauer was notably angered when discussing the solo shot he gave up to Manny Machado that led off a two-run sixth inning for Baltimore.

"When I step on the mound, I tell myself I know what I'm going to throw and then I just threw a different pitch to Machado," he said shaking his head. "I don't know why I did that."

It wasn't all negative for Bauer, however, as he bounced back from a three-inning, seven-run performance in his last start against the Tigers.

The righty had given up six or more runs in two of his previous three starts, and walked just one batter after entering the game leading the American League with 41 walks.

"At the end of the day, four runs gives your team a chance to win, at least, and [I] walked one," Bauer said. "I actually threw a lot of really quality pitches. Probably could have gone eight with the pitch count right around 100 through seven. In a lot of ways, a much better outing."