Notes on Sunday starter, coaches, suspension, injured players (O's lose 7-0)

BOSTON - Orioles manager Buck Showalter confirmed this afternoon that Ubaldo Jimenez will stay in turn and start Sunday's series finale against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox are sending left-hander Henry Owens to the mound, the third southpaw to face the Orioles in the series.

None of the Orioles coaches are under contract beyond the 2015 season. Executive vice president Dan Duquette said today the club still is in the process of working out new deals and he expects the staff to return.

Duquette also mentioned how he's proud of the Orioles' late playoff push and the work that went into it. He also knows there's lots of work to be done over the winter.

Showalter didn't have much to say about Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon receiving a three-game suspension and undisclosed fine for throwing near Manny Machado's head in the ninth inning Wednesday night.

"Most of the time you just trust the process and the people," Showalter said. "I'm comfortable with the action that they took. I'm not comfortable with the action. I'm comfortable with the action that they took."

Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz was suspended eight games this summer for having a sticky substance on his forearm. Papelbon gets three games for "intentionally throwing a pitch in the head area of Manny Machado," per the Major League Baseball news release.

"If you get into fairness ... Most of that stuff is on precedents," Showalter said. "I've been in a few of those hearings, unfortunately, and just about all of those things are done on precedent. When you're trying to figure out what they're going to do, you just look at like instances.

"I never quite understood when someone or a team does something, it's the team that didn't do anything wrong (that gets warned)."

Showalter passed along encouraging news on his injured players, including Miguel Gonzalez, who threw a simulated game Wednesday in D.C. and didn't experience any discomfort in his right shoulder or elbow. Gonzalez is expected to have a side session on Saturday.

"Miguel feels good today," Showalter said. "That was big to come out of that. His return to the rotation is close."

Zach Britton played catch and had a bullpen session today to test his left lat muscle. Adam Jones, who underwent an MRI yesterday on his back, did some running and throwing and swung in the indoor cage.

"Zach threw," Showalter said. "He got up on the mound a little bit. He's close. It's encouraging. He and Adam today, very encouraging. I think they're real close."

How close did Showalter come to writing Jones' name into the lineup?

"Close," he replied. "He's not 100 percent, but he's close. I think his appearance in a game is imminent. Very close. Could be tonight."

Showalter must decide on a closer if there's another save situation tonight. Darren O'Day has recorded saves the past three days and may not be available.

"That's one of those things that there's kind of a process that Wally (Dave Wallace) and Dom (Chiti) go through during the course of the day and we make a decision after batting practice."

O'Day probably will insist that he's able to pitch, but Showalter won't let him cast the deciding vote.

"It's one of those things you go off what he's telling you and you know you're player, you know the body language, and then you make the decision," Showalter said. "You don't put that in his hands. That's not fair to him.

"That's like going out there and asking somebody if they want to walk somebody. It's not fair to them. You tell them to go get somebody or you tell them to put him on."

Update: Kevin Gausman struck out the first two batters in the bottom of the third inning and surrendered the game's first run on a walk, single and Xander Bogaerts' RBI double. Dustin Pedroia was thrown out at the plate 7-6-2 for the Orioles' 44th outfield assist.

Update II: The Red Sox scored another two-out run in the fifth on Gausman's wild pitch that plated Brock Holt, who drew a leadoff walk. Catcher Caleb Joseph couldn't find the ball as Gausman raced for it.

Rich Hill has retired 14 batters in a row since Nolan Reimold's leadoff single in the first. He's struck out six of the last nine.

Update III: Gausman didn't record an out in the sixth inning and left the game with the Orioles trailing 4-0 after David Ortiz's two-run double. Pedroia led off with a walk and Bogaerts reached on an infield hit.

Gausman was charged with a fifth run on Brock Holt's two-out double off T.J. McFarland. Three of Boston's five runs have scored with two outs.

Gausman was charged with five runs and five hits in five innings, with three walks, five strikeouts and a wild pitch. He threw 99 pitches, 56 for strikes.

Update IV: Ortiz had an RBI double off Brian Matusz in the eighth to increase Boston's lead to 6-0. Oritz was 3-for-28 with 13 strikeouts against Matusz before tonight. Three of his hits are doubles.

The run was charged to Rule 5 pick Jason Garcia, who struck out both batters he faced in the seventh.

Brock Holt reached on an infield hit with two outs that scored pinch-runner Josh Rutledge. Red Sox 7, Orioles 0

Update V: The Orioles lose to the Red Sox 7-0, the 10th time they've been shut out this season.

The Orioles managed only two hits off Hill, Reimold's leadoff single in the top of the first inning and Dariel Alvarez's infield single leading off the ninth. Alvarez reached on Hill's error in the sixth and Reimold walked later in the inning.

That's it.

Chris Davis appeared to hit a two-run homer with two outs, but Mookie Betts robbed him with an amazing catch, almost flipping over into the Orioles' bullpen.

Hill had two complete games, including one shutout, with the Cubs in 2006.