O’s fans let out a collective groan last week when it was announced that Ubaldo Jimenez would be starting game two against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Buck Showalter revealed his plan on Saturday, back when the O’s “Magic Number” was still a robust five. If everything fell right, that meant that Tuesday night might end up being the Birds’ first chance to clinch the American League East crown.
Well, the chips fell perfectly. The Magic Number is one. Tonight, the O’s get their first crack at locking this thing up.
And yet, Ubaldo Jimenez is going to the mound? Why?
Buck, per Roch:
We feel like it disrupts our bullpen the least,” Showalter said of his decision to start Jimenez over left-handers T.J. McFarland and Joe Saunders. “We think that he’s the most equipped length-wise. We feel like he’s better equipped to pitch that part than say behind Mac or Joe. Also, we think he’s our best option to win the game. Obviously, we knew we were going to need a pitcher there.”
The double-header on Friday screwed up the rest schedules of the normal starters, and Buck will not – nor should he – compromise them. Not with a 12.5 game lead on September 16.
The last time we saw the O’s big offseason pitching acquisition on the mound, he was giving up three earned runs in just 0.1 IP in the ninth inning on August 31. His last start was August 16 and his last home start was August 9. In four appearances in August (two from the pen) he gave up 13 ER in 14.2 IP, good for a 7.98 ERA.
You’ll forgive Birdland if we’re not filled with confidence.
Making things even more interesting tonight is that the Jays will run out Drew Hutchison, who, though he is just 10-11 with a 4.36 ERA overall, the Orioles have made look like Clayton Kershaw in 2014. Here are the lines from Hutchison’s three starts against the O’s this season:
April 12: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 5 K
April 24: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 9 K
June 13: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 3 K
August 6: 8.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 8 K
Combined, that’s 27.2 innings allowing just three earned runs (0.98 ERA) on 17 hits, striking out 25.
Basically, this sets up the perfect “Bizarro World” scenario for the O’s to clinch the AL East tonight. Ubaldo will be dazzling while the bats will figure out Hutchison and knock him around.
Hey – the Orioles are about to win the American League East for the first time in 17 years. Anything can happen.
See you at the Yard.
