masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgNEW YORK – The sun came up this morning and the Yankees weren’t crowned division champions. The Orioles didn’t start making their offseason plans.
Last night wasn’t another elimination game without Zach Britton.
It counted as one loss, though brutal with the Orioles squandering leads of 9-1 and 11-4. The opponent must have made it feel a lot worse, judging by the response on Twitter.
Do this against the Athletics and maybe it doesn’t hurt quite so much. Maybe it doesn’t make you want to…

NEW YORK – The sun came up this morning and the Yankees weren’t crowned division champions. The Orioles didn’t start making their offseason plans.

Last night wasn’t another elimination game without Zach Britton.

It counted as one loss, though brutal with the Orioles squandering leads of 9-1 and 11-4. The opponent must have made it feel a lot worse, judging by the response on Twitter.

Do this against the Athletics and maybe it doesn’t hurt quite so much. Maybe it doesn’t make you want to chug bleach.

There was nothing wrong with using Brad Brach in the ninth, as some fans suggested. The guy hadn’t allowed a run in 12 innings this month. He’s been the closer in Britton’s absence. Darren O’Day did his job in the eighth. No need to push him another inning.

It just didn’t work out.

For the Vidal Nuño bashers, he tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings in his previous outing and was praised for his work. Now people want him released, though he can be optioned.

He won’t be released. The manager won’t be fired. And a season rolls along.

The Orioles have won all four of Ubaldo Jiménez‘s starts this month, proving again that baseball is a funny game. And it can seriously test the patience of everyone attached to it, eliminating the laughs.

There’s funny and then there’s frustrating and infuriating.

Jiménez is carrying a 5.95 ERA and 1.627 WHIP into Yankee Stadium, where the series continues this afternoon. He’s failed to complete five innings in three starts. He was done after 3 1/3 Monday night against the Rays, long enough to issue five walks in another no-decision.

The only win for Jiménez, of course, came on April 19 in Cincinnati after he shut out the Reds for 7 2/3 innings.

Left-handers are batting .229 against Jiménez, and right-handers are hitting .286.

Jiménez is 4-5 with a 6.35 ERA and 1.684 WHIP in 12 starts against the Yankees covering 62 1/3 innings. He’s 3-3 with a 5.50 ERA and 1.646 WHIP, with 25 walks and 34 strikeouts, in seven starts at Yankee Stadium covering 37 2/3 innings.

Matt Holliday is 6-for-14 with a home run against Jiménez, Jacoby Ellsbury is 7-for-19 with a home run and Brett Gardner is 6-for-20 with a double. Greg Bird is 1-for-8 with four strikeouts.

Jiménez owns a career 4.61 ERA in 95 day games, including 91 starts. His ERA at night is 3.95 in 208 games (203 starts).

The Yankees are starting Michael Pineda, who’s 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.029 WHIP this month in four starts. He’s walked three and struck out 29 in 23 1/3 innings.

Pineda is 4-3 with a 4.16 ERA in 12 career starts against the Orioles, with a 1.224 WHIP in 67 innings. He’s issued 14 walks and struck out 79.

Get ready for the annoying Yankee Stadium whistle.

Jones-Homer-Runs-Gray-Sidebar.jpgAdam Jones is 11-for-32 (.344) with two doubles and two home runs against Pineda. J.J. Hardy is 10-for-22 (.455) with three home runs and Manny Machado is 6-for-18 (.333) with a double.

Chris Davis is 6-for-21 (.286) with a double, two home runs and 12 strikeouts. Jonathan Schoop is 3-for-17 (.176), but it includes two doubles and a home run.

Ryan Flaherty is 1-for-14 with six strikeouts. He’s not starting today.

We’ll find out later this morning whether Caleb Joseph is catching or if it’s a short turnaround for Welington Castillo. And if it’s Joseph, does he also catch Wade Miley on Sunday?

If it’s Castillo again today, will everyone finally admit that Miley has a personal catcher?

Inquiring minds want to know.

For what it’s worth, Joseph is 2-for-12 with seven strikeouts against Pineda. Castillo is 1-for-4.