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Baltimore Orioles almost come all the way back

By Domenic A. Vadala

May 22, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez (31) walks to the dugout after being removed from the game against the Los Angeles Angels in the sixth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
May 22, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez (31) walks to the dugout after being removed from the game against the Los Angeles Angels in the sixth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Baltimore Orioles almost were able to come all the way back to tie Toronto, after Ubaldo Jimenez didn’t make it out of the first inning.

The Baltimore Orioles’ situation with Ubaldo Jimenez might have come to a head yesterday in Toronto. Jimenez didn’t make it out of the first inning of the game, giving up five runs on four doubles. Jimenez’s line: 0.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 1 K.

The Orioles brought Vance Worley in for Jimenez, and he was able to make it to the fifth inning with some success. It would seem to me that it would be easy enough to simply swap Jimenez into the bullpen and Worley into the rotation, however as is generally the case I suspect that’s a bit overly simplistic. In fact, with Worley pitching yesterday it would put him right on track with Jimenez’s rotation spot (along with today being an off day). But there’s a stark difference between me saying this in today’s column, and actually doing it. As I said, I make it sound very easy when in fact it probably isn’t.

The BIrds did get a run back in the second on a Flaherty RBI-single, however before you could bat an eye it was 7-1 Toronto. But the O’s were going to make a run of this. Incidentally, make no mistake about the fact that the Orioles weren’t exactly kind to Toronto pitching in this series. They may have dropped three of the four games, but they squared a lot of balls up and hit lots of home runs. And that’s how you win in the AL East.

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Colorado Rockies: Ubaldo Jimenez sails off into retirement
Colorado Rockies: Ubaldo Jimenez sails off into retirement /

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    • Pedro Alvarez smacked a solo homer in the fourth, and Adam Jones hit one of his own in the fifth. Later in that fifth inning Chris Davis hit a two-run homer, and Matt Wieters another solo shot. That left the score at 7-6, with the O’s very much in the game. However Toronto’s Martin hit what appeared to be a piercing blow to the Birds, with a three-run homer in the last of the sixth.

    Only it wasn’t a piercing blow. Notice that I said above that it appeared to be a piercing blow. Jones would smack a two-run homer in the eighth, and Alvarez added a sac fly-RBI in the ninth. Tha sac fly was almost a home run or a double. It was caught in the outfield, however he made a bid to give the Orioles the lead. At the end of the day, it goes as a 10-9 loss, but they had Toronto on their heels for awhile at the end.

    At the end of the day, you shouldn’t score nine runs and lose. But this is the American League East – it’s also somewhat par for the course. The Orioles have some decisions to make on the likes of Jimenez, and I suspect that’s something that will monopolize the off day.

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    When asked after the game what he thought Jimenez’s problems were right now, Showalter had a dual response (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

    "Two issues. His stuff is not very crisp and he can’t command the baseball right now. That is a bad combination. We are supposed to hit targets and he is missing the width of the plate. Stuff isn’t very crisp. That is a bad combination against a good hitting team"

    Besides swapping Jimenez and Worley, there are two other options. I hear a lot of fans saying the O’s should trade for a starting pitcher. Again, that’s easier said than done. There’s also a contingent of people who think the Orioles should just DFA Jimenez and be done with him. As has been said ad hoc, that would be an incredibly poor business move on the Orioles’ part. They would be paying him for the next year-and-a-half, most probably to pitch against them. Not smart.

    Obviously if they trade for a starter, they’d still have to figure out what they’re going to do with Jimenez. Having said all of that, given that he didn’t make it out of the first inning yesterday it would be an ideal time for some small injury to send him to the DL. Yes folks, I get it – that’s kind of shady in a way. But it happens all the time.

    Next: Baltimore Orioles and Mike Wright battle but fall in Toronto

    As I’ve alluded already, the O’s have are off today in Boston. What will the roster look like in regards to the pitching staff when they get going again tomorrow night? Tough to say now, but time will tell.

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