masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe first night of a seven-game road trip turned into nothing but frustration for the Orioles.
Their starting pitcher was ejected. They were held to two runs. They had just one hit after the fifth inning. They lost in walk-off fashion.
Xander Bogaerts’ bloop RBI single to right off Tommy Hunter with one out in the ninth gave Boston a 3-2 win over the Orioles in the opener of a four-game series.
Brian Matusz took the mound for the ninth with the game tied 2-2, and walked leadoff batter Mike…

The first night of a seven-game road trip turned into nothing but frustration for the Orioles.

Their starting pitcher was ejected. They were held to two runs. They had just one hit after the fifth inning. They lost in walk-off fashion.

hunter-frustrated-sidebar.jpgXander Bogaerts’ bloop RBI single to right off Tommy Hunter with one out in the ninth gave Boston a 3-2 win over the Orioles in the opener of a four-game series.

Brian Matusz took the mound for the ninth with the game tied 2-2, and walked leadoff batter Mike Napoli on four pitches. A sac bunt sent Napoli to second and set the stage for Bogaerts’ winning hit.

Earlier, O’s starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez was ejected from the game in controversial fashion.

With two outs and no one on in the Boston fourth, Jimenez hit Pablo Sandoval on his right shoulder and was immediately ejected by home plate umpire Jordan Baker, who is in his second season as a full-time umpire. Jimenez quickly raised his hands in the air wondering why he was tossed.

Without knowing for sure, speculation was that Baker assumed the hit by pitch was retaliation for Sandoval’s hard slide into second baseman Jonathan Schoop in the second inning.

But there was no warning issued, just the quick ejection, which is the umpire’s right if he feels a batter was hit on purpose. But the Orioles were clearly miffed by the quick ejection of their pitcher.

So Jimenez was forced to leave a game where he had not allowed a hit or run. Over 10 2/3 innings this year, he has given up one hit and no runs with four walks and 10 strikeouts.

jimenez-pitching-white-sidebar (1).pngOpposing batters are just 1-for-32 (.031) against Jimenez this year.

The O’s led 1-0 in the fourth when Chris Davis hit into a double play with runners at the corners and no outs after singles by Travis Snider and Adam Jones. A Caleb Joseph solo homer off the glove of right fielder Shane Victorino made it 2-0 an inning later. It was Joseph’s first this year.

But Boston’s No. 9 hitter, Ryan Hanigan, hit a two-run homer off Kevin Gausman in the fifth for a 2-2 tie. Hanigan was 2-for-20 before the homer off Gausman, who came on after Jimenez was ejected.

Gausman gave up two runs over 1 2/3 innings. Darren O’Day, Matusz and Hunter followed and held Boston off the board until the ninth.

The Orioles, who saw a five-game winning streak at Fenway Park end, fall to 5-5 while first-place Boston is now 7-3.