Well, is it too soon to worry?
That is an easy one. Yes, it is way, way too early or to have any concerns about the 2014 Orioles.
The Yankees have started 0-2 and Tampa Bay is 1-2. The Orioles can win another series against Boston with a victory tonight. If they win this game, they will have won 12 of their last 15 series against the Red Sox and they'll get their season off to a good start as they head for Detroit.
Ubaldo Jimenez gave up a pair of homers to the middle of the Boston order...
The Orioles faced Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester on opening day and right-hander John Lackey last night. They're scheduled to face left-hander Felix Doubront tonight in the final game of the series.
The lineup will keep changing.
Nelson Cruz figures to start again in left field, as he did on Monday, with Delmon Young or Steve Pearce serving as the designated hitter. Jonathan Schoop most likely will start at second base in another duplication of the opening day lineup.
Nick Markakis remains...
NEW YORK - Two Nationals hit home runs in tonight's 5-1 win.
Ian Desmond was the first, which you would expect, because he's crushed 45 homers over the last two seasons. Gio Gonzalez was the second. And you would not expect that.
Let's hear from tonight's two homer guys, shall we?
Desmond
On Bryce Harper's throw to the plate that cut down Ruben Tejada: "When the ball caromed off the tarp, it was kinda rolling towards him a little bit and he was running straight at it. I was just yelling,...
NEW YORK - After a wild, dramatic, sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat win in the regular season opener, the Nationals had a smooth 5-1 victory today that featured seven extra-base hits, six strong innings from Gio Gonzalez and three near-perfect relief frames in which Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard and Craig Stammen combined to strike out seven of the 10 batters they faced.
Opening day had a little bit of everything. Today's win was a bit less chaotic for Nats manager Matt Williams.
"A little...
Ubaldo Jimenez was not hurt by the home run ball very much last year. He gave up two homers in a game just three times in 32 starts, once against the Orioles.
After the All-Star break last year he allowed just three homers total in 13 starts, covering 84 innings.
But he gave up a pair of two-run homers tonight. David Ortiz and Mike Napoli hit the homers as Jimenez took the 6-2 loss against Boston in his Orioles debut.
"The one to David, that was a good pitch and it seems like he was looking...
Ubaldo Jimenez struck out six batters in six innings tonight in his Orioles debut, but he also gave up four runs and took the loss.
Jimenez is 1-1 with a 10.47 ERA lifetime against the Red Sox.
"He was good. Made a couple mistakes," said manager Buck Showalter. "Wasn't going to be much of a margin for error with (John) Lackey. From the get-go, he was going to be sharp tonight. He pitches like that all year, he'll win his share of games."
Jimenez was done in by poorly located fastballs...
It was not the O's debut Ubaldo Jimenez wanted. He had, at times, some swing and miss stuff, but also threw a couple of pitches he might like to have back.
David Ortiz and Mike Napoli got to Jimenez as each hit a two-run homer as Boston beat the Orioles 6-2 tonight. Napoli later added a two-run single as Boston evened the series at a win each in front of 25,708 at Camden Yards.
Jimenez did a great job late last year keeping the ball in the ballpark. In his last 12 starts of the 2013 season...
Ryan Webb has replaced Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez in the top of the seventh inning with the Red Sox leading 4-2.
Jimenez allowed four runs and five hits in six innings, with three walks, six strikeouts, two home runs and a hit batter. He threw 96 pitches, 63 for strikes.
Both home runs came on 0-2 pitches to David Ortiz in the third and Mike Napoli in the fifth.
Jimenez grooved a fastball to Napoli down the middle of the plate. Right in the heart of it. And he knew what was coming.
Napoli...
For three innings, ageless Bartolo Colon tamed the Nationals on one hit. But in the fourth inning, the visitors' bats have awakened. With one out, Jayson Werth doubled and scored on Adam LaRoche's double into the left field corner.
That wiped out New York's 1-0 lead, courtesy of David Wright's first-inning sac fly, which scored Juan Lagares, who tripled off lefty Gio Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, who came into the game 4-0 with a 1.64 ERA in his last five games at Citi Field, has yielded three hits...
Ubaldo Jimenez's first inning as an Orioles starter tonight included a hit, walk and two strikeouts.
Jimenez got a called third strike on leadoff hitter Daniel Nava before Dustin Pedroia singled into right field and David Ortiz walked. Mike Napoli popped up and Jonny Gomes struck out looking to strand two runners.
Jimenez threw 17 pitches, including 10 for strikes.
Xander Bogaerts singled off Jimenez with one out in the second, but A.J. Pierzynski flied out and Will Middlebrooks struck out...



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