masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThere comes a point during a game like last night’s when you begin to lose the grip on your sanity. Sort of like trying to snap off a curve with a wet baseball.
Mookie Betts hits another leadoff home run and another second-inning home run. Both teams score in the first three innings, passing the lead like a bottle of Jack Daniels. Neither starter makes it out of the third. Vance Worley needs 35 pitches to record one out after replacing Mike Wright.
I went back to check my tweets (@masnRoch)…

There comes a point during a game like last night’s when you begin to lose the grip on your sanity. Sort of like trying to snap off a curve with a wet baseball.

Mookie Betts hits another leadoff home run and another second-inning home run. Both teams score in the first three innings, passing the lead like a bottle of Jack Daniels. Neither starter makes it out of the third. Vance Worley needs 35 pitches to record one out after replacing Mike Wright.

I went back to check my tweets (@masnRoch) and found the following:

* Mookie Betts is up with none on and 2 outs. Do you hold up 4 fingers? How about 1?

* OK, so that’s 5 HRs in 7 at-bats for Mookie Betts. You better, you better, you Betts

* Game is dragging, but I did take 72 hours in the Time of Game pool, so no complaints

* #orioles will become 1st team ever to intentionally walk a guy while he’s sitting at the end of the bench #Betts

* Smart of the #orioles to go for the 2-point conversion this early in the game

* #ThisGameIsTakingSoLong, Dexter Fowler is a free agent again and the #Orioles expect him in camp.

* Chris Davis has walked four times tonight. But Doug Eddings ruled one of them foul.

* 2-run single for Wieters in the 7th. Off Barnes. #orioles lead 12-8. Field goal won’t win it now for #redsox

* Yes, that’s the first 1-2-3 inning of the game. Continue to breathe normally.

The rotation is making fans hyperventilate. It’s become an issue again after a period where it was deemed as one of the bigger surprises in the first month of the season.

Wright lasted only 2 2/3 innings last night and his ERA rose to 5.88 in 49 innings. He hasn’t gone more than 5 1/3 innings in four of his last five starts and he’s in danger of being optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.

Yovani Gallardo makes his first injury rehab start today at Single-A Frederick. Manager Buck Showalter said the assignment will last at least two starts, but I wonder if the club is married to that plan.

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Not that Wright is the only concern among the starters. Let me reintroduce you to Ubaldo Jimenez, who takes the ball tonight with a 6.36 ERA and 1.873 WHIP in 10 starts spread over 52 1/3 innings.

The Orioles are willing to eat the remainder of Jimenez’s salary, which includes $13.5 million next season, according to sources. They haven’t reached that point, however. They don’t have a bunch of candidates beating down the door and they prefer keeping Worley in long relief.

Jimenez needs a good outing tonight like Wright needed one last night.

Jimenez was 1-4 with an 8.28 ERA in six starts in May. He registered a 2.114 WHIP in 29 1/3 innings.

Left-handers are hitting .344 against Jimenez and right-handers are hitting .289. He’s posted a 5.56 ERA in six starts at Camden Yards and a 7.85 ERA in four road starts.

This won’t be the first time that Jimenez has faced the Red Sox this season. He allowed four runs and six over five innings in a 4-2 loss on April 13 at Fenway Park. The four walks didn’t help him, either.

Jimenez is 2-5 with a 7.25 ERA in 12 career starts against the Red Sox. Dustin Pedroia is 10-for-28 with two doubles, Betts is 7-for-15 with a double, Xander Bogaerts is 6-for-15 with a double, David Ortiz is 2-for-22 with eight walks, Hanley Ramirez is 3-for-17 and Chris Young is 8-for-45 with three doubles and 18 strikeouts.

Young homered twice last night. Betts homers every time he takes a deep breath.

Rick Porcello is 7-2 with a 3.68 ERA in 10 starts this season. No quality starts in the last three.

Left-handers are hitting .192 against Porcello and right-handers are hitting .276. A reverse-splits guy. He’s 3-7 with a 5.45 ERA in 12 career starts against the Orioles and 1-4 with a 5.19 ERA in six starts at Camden Yards.

The current Orioles are batting .301 (40-for-133) against Porcello. Manny Machado is 7-for-18 with a double, Davis is 8-for-26 with a double and three home runs, Matt Wieters is 4-for-13 with a double and Ryan Flaherty is 5-for-9 with a home run.

Does Francisco Pena get his first start as an Oriole tonight or must he wait until the Yankees come to town this weekend?

Showalter is tired of talking about Caleb Joseph’s testicular injury and the surgical procedure and a timetable for the catcher’s return. He’s trying to provide information without making the entire room cringe or infringing on Joseph’s privacy. He’d much rather move on from it.

“Still hurting, OK?” Showalter said. “I think a lot of us can identify with that.”

Showalter said Joseph will return to the clubhouse when he can walk without being in pain. He isn’t supposed to be on his feet yet.

“I can’t tell you when he’d actually be here,” Showalter said. “I’m hoping it’s during this homestand.”

As for Joseph resuming his catching duties, Showalter said, “I don’t know how to answer that. I don’t know. I don’t have anything to base it on. Do you?

“Talking to trainers, it depends. I just know the timeframe I’m getting, a minimum of, but they’re all saying there’s a lot of unknown here. And how do you gauge is he ready to play? Go out on rehab for that? What’s the barometer? What are the things you now have to do in order to play? Probably pain.

“The problem with this is it’s not like you can do something to keep it from happening. Through all these years of things we’ve tried – shin guards, elbow guards, rib cage guards – all you’re trying to do with that injury is lessen the pain as much as possible. It’s not like it happens and there’s no pain.

“I can’t believe we’re sitting here talking about it. A lot of us would rather not talk about it.”