Machado returns, Davis struggles, Jimenez working on night moves (Hundley HR)

BOSTON - Third baseman Manny Machado struck out tonight in his first at-bat since completing his five-game suspension, and it led to a five-minute review. J.J. Hardy was thrown out trying to steal on the play, which occurred in the second inning. The Orioles challenged the call, and five minutes later Hardy was sent back to first base. Machado hit Red Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski with his backswing, and the third baseman was called for incidental contact rather than interference. Machado's bat slammed against Pierzynski's back. Might want to to shorten up that backswing. Just saying... Five minutes of our lives were wasted. John Lackey retired the next two batters and the Orioles didn't score. The Orioles stranded two runners in the first after Steve Pearce singled and Nelson Cruz doubled. Chris Davis struck out in his fourth consecutive at-bat, including Game 1. He struck out again to end the third and strand two more after Adam Jones and Cruz singled, his average tumbling to .202. Cruz stole second before Davis fanned. All four stranded runners with Davis at the plate were in scoring position. The Red Sox used a shift against Pearce in the third inning, putting three infielders on the left side. He struck out, which had nothing to do with the shift. Ubaldo Jimenez has issued three walks in two innings, but the game remains scoreless. Pierzynski swung at the first pitch and lined to left to end the second and strand two runners. Jimenez is 0-5 with a 10.55 ERA in five day starts this season, and 3-3 with a 2.53 ERA in 12 night starts. Manager Buck Showalter wisely started Miguel Gonzalez in Game 1. "I was trying to decide between day and night, who was going to pitch," Showalter said. "Have you seen Jimenez day and night? That was a short evaluation, so to speak." Why do some pitchers struggle in day games? "If they were prone to carousing, I guess," Showalter said. "For years, that's the way people looked at it, but that's obviously not the case with Ubaldo. "It's there, though. It's a pretty good sampling. It's not nearly that much over his career, but obviously has been this year. That one kind of caught my eye." Jimenez owns a 4.38 career ERA in the day and a 3.73 ERA at night. The Orioles will learn on Sunday whether Nolan Reimold cleared waivers. "We think there's still a good chance that he will be," Showalter said. "You've had a guy who's homegrown and been with us for as long as... what is it? Seven, eight, nine years? It's hard to imagine I look up there and he's 30 years old. "We're at a point where we just want what's best for Nolan. Nolan's going to play again. I've got a good feeling that this will have a good ending for Nolan one way or the other. Could end up in Norfolk playing every day. It would be a nice thing for him, where he is physically. I don't think he'd agree with it. We're kind of waiting. I think, from the way I understand it, it's out of our control right now. We'll know something in the next few days." Update: Nick Hundley hit a two-run homer off Jake Peavy in the fourth to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead. In his last six starts, Hundley is 9-for-20 with three doubles, two home runs and five RBIs.



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