masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgBOSTON – Miguel Gonzalez will start Game 1 of Saturday’s split doubleheader against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, with Ubaldo Jimenez starting Game 2. Manager Buck Showalter didn’t change the order of his rotation.

Jimenez is 0-5 with a 10.55 ERA in five day games this season, and 3-3 with a 2.53 ERA in 12 night games. Easy decision.

Kevin Gausman will be recalled Sunday and start the final game of the series. He threw two innings Wednesday at short-season Single-A Aberdeen, allowing an…BOSTON – Miguel Gonzalez will start Game 1 of Saturday’s split doubleheader against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, with Ubaldo Jimenez starting Game 2. Manager Buck Showalter didn’t change the order of his rotation.

Jimenez is 0-5 with a 10.55 ERA in five day games this season, and 3-3 with a 2.53 ERA in 12 night games. Easy decision.

Kevin Gausman will be recalled Sunday and start the final game of the series. He threw two innings Wednesday at short-season Single-A Aberdeen, allowing an unearned run.

The Orioles are allowed to bring up a 26th player for Game 2 of the doubleheader. Manny Machado’s suspension ends after Game 1, so the Orioles’ roster will grow from 24 to 26 players between games.

The club is likely to call up a reliever such as Evan Meek from Triple-A Norfolk as the 26th player, and he would be optioned following Game 2. Another reliever will be removed from the bullpen before Sunday’s game to make room for Gausman on the roster. Ramon Ramirez is the most likely candidate. Ramirez is out of options and would need to pass through waivers and be outrighted to stay in the organization.

The bullpen already has an extra reliever with T.J. McFarland now available after starting on Tuesday. The 26th man would bump up the excess to two.

Jimenez is 1-3 with a 9.31 ERA in six career starts against the Red Sox, and 0-1 with a 9.31 ERA in two starts at Fenway Park. He’s allowed 10 earned runs and 13 hits in 9 2/3 innings, with eight walks and nine strikeouts.

The extra relievers for Game 2 offer more protection for the Orioles.

Bud Norris will throw a simulated game before the nightcap of the doubleheader, which could make him available to start Monday if he’s activated from the disabled list. Norris has twice thrown in the bullpen since going on the disabled list with a strained right groin.

The Orioles didn’t arrive this morning until 4 a.m., and most players never made it to Fenway Park because the bus was scheduled to leave the hotel later than usual. Shortstop J.J. Hardy was included among the few who reported to the visiting clubhouse.

The Red Sox made the decision to play a doubleheader on Saturday rather than waiting until the Orioles returned to Fenway Park in September.

According to the CBA, the Red Sox and Cubs are the only teams to have final say in the scheduling of doubleheaders.