Jimenez, Buchholz, Hart and a decision that backfired

Ubaldo Jimenez and Clay Buchholz should join the same support group. Or start their own.

Two failed starters banished to the bullpen, practically forgotten, targeted by fans, only to be thrust back into the rotation out of need. Now the unlikeliest of contributors down the stretch.

It sounds crazy to consider how Jimenez has been one of the most valuable Orioles for about four weeks. I'm not saying the team is getting its money's worth, but he's going to deserve a lot of credit if it makes the postseason.

Jimenez's innings count in his last five starts reads as six, 6 2/3, nine, seven and seven. He's allowed 13 runs, walked six and struck out 25 over 35 2/3 innings.

He isn't the ace of the pitching staff, but he's become a tremendously valuable component, especially while Chris Tillman was on the disabled list.

The Red Sox provide a stiff test for Jimenez, who's 2-5 with a 7.39 ERA in 14 career games against them. He allowed four runs and six hits over five innings on April 13 and five runs and six hits over five innings on June 2.

Dustin Pedroia is 11-for-31 with two doubles against Jimenez, but a sore knee kept him out of last night's lineup. Xander Bogaerts is 7-for-18, Mookie Betts is 7-for-17, Chris Young is 8-for-47 and David Ortiz is 3-for-25 with two home runs.

Buchholz is 7-10 with a 5.20 ERA in 35 appearances, only 19 of them starts. He's been in and out of the rotation depending on the health of other starters.

Buchholz has been very good in four of his last five starts dating to Aug. 18, allowing five runs over 25 innings. The exception came on Sept. 11 in Toronto when he surrendered six runs in three innings.

The Orioles have beaten Buchholz twice this season - once as a starter and once as a reliever. They tallied five runs in five innings in a 9-5 win on April 12 and four runs (three earned) in 3 1/3 innings in a 13-9 win on June 1.

In his other appearance this season, Buchholz shut out the Orioles over three relief innings and struck out four batters on June 15.

In his career, Buchholz is 10-7 with a 3.90 ERA and one no-hitter in 22 games against the Orioles. He's 5-3 with a 5.10 ERA in 10 games (eight starts) at Camden Yards.

J.J. Hardy is 8-for-24 with three home runs against Buchholz. Chris Davis is 9-for-27 with two home runs, Ryan Flaherty is 7-for-22, Adam Jones is 10-for-35 with four doubles and two home runs, and Matt Wieters is 6-for-34.

The Blue Jays won last night, leaving the Orioles in third place in the American League East and now holding the second wild card spot. Five games out of first place with 11 to play.

The math says it's still possible. The latest cold spell from the offense makes it seem unlikely.

Someone better strike a match. Light the entire book.

Two runs in each of the last four games. Two or fewer in six of the last nine. Manager Buck Showalter tweaked the lineup again last night, trying to find a spark. Trey Mancini hit his first major league home run. Otherwise, Showalter didn't get much of a return.

Hardy has hit safely in seven of his last eight games since Sept. 13, batting .462/.517/.615 (12-for-26) with a double, home run, eight RBIs and three runs scored. Maybe Showalter can find a way to bat him second, fourth, seventh and ninth.

Donnie Hart extended his scoreless streak to 18 games to begin his major league career, the second-longest streak by an Orioles pitcher to start a season. Left-hander Will Ohman was scoreless in his first 25 games in 2010.

Hart didn't face Ortiz in the seventh inning last night and Kevin Gausman surrendered a three-run homer. Hart was allowed to face Ortiz in the ninth inning and retired him on a ground ball to first, making left-handers 5-for-32 against the rookie.

Ortiz was 8-for-21 with three doubles and two home runs lifetime against Gausman before last night. He popped up, singled and flied out in his first three at-bats.

I expected Hart to begin warming, but Tommy Hunter was getting loose with Gausman's pitch count below 100.

Betts singled again, Bogaerts struck out and Ortiz fell behind 1-2 before connecting on the fourth straight fastball thrown to him.

We'll never know if Hart would have stranded the runners. Gausman has earned the chance to clean up his own mess. But the situation did scream for the lefty specialist and we've grown accustomed to anticipating the move three or four batters ahead.

I did it at Fenway Park, and sure enough, Hart came into the game and retired Ortiz on his seventh pitch of the at-bat. I whiffed last night.

Too bad for the Orioles that Ortiz didn't do the same.