Notes on Jimenez and challenge of hitting knuckleball (O's lose 7-2)

Ubaldo Jimenez remains in line to start Thursday night against the Red Sox at Camden Yards. Yovani Gallardo begins his injury rehab assignment Thursday at Single-A Frederick or Triple-A Norfolk, depending on the weather.

Draw your own conclusions.

Gallardo will make at least two starts on his assignment. His return to the rotation isn't imminent, but he's getting closer.

Jimenez is toting a 6.36 ERA and 1.873 WHIP in 10 starts. He's 1-4 with an 8.28 ERA and 2.114 WHIP in six starts this month covering 29 1/3 innings. He's walked 19 and struck out 19.

Vance Worley replaced Jimenez in the second inning Saturday afternoon in Cleveland and allowed one earned run (two total) in 4 1/3 innings. He's the logical in-house candidate to replace Jimenez if a change is made sooner rather than later, but manager Buck Showalter is reluctant to make the switch.

"How do you know what he's going to do as a starter? And you're robbing Peter to pay Paul," Showalter said.

Worley is the only true long man in the bullpen while T.J. McFarland remains at Triple-A Norfolk, where he came off the disabled list today. Worley has a 0.44 ERA in 11 relief appearances over 20 1/3 innings, the only runs against him scoring on Saturday.

"One of the reasons why our bullpen has been healthy and stays intact," Showalter said. "On the flip side of that, if you can keep those short starts from happening, the need for that guy wouldn't be as much.

"They're all needs of the club. There's guys at the end, there's guys who need to do the job that he and Mac have done. You've got to have all of that. You can't say this is more important than the other. We all know how important starting pitching is, but it's hard to relay to a lot of people how important the job that Vance and Mac have done for us. But I've got it. I look at the same thing you all do.

"It's kind of like a guy doing a real good job out of the nine hole. Why are you going to mess it up putting him somewhere else? You try not to mess with successful things. But sometimes you have to. I'm right there with you."

Asked whether Jimenez remains scheduled to start Thursday night, Showalter replied, "Yeah, compared to?"

"He goes to the bullpen, can he do the job that Vance is doing?" Showalter asked. "He's capable of better."

Jimenez will continue his side work while trying to find solutions.

"Same thing he's been doing," Showalter said. "He's had some really good bullpen sessions that don't transfer to game day. So command and repeating his delivery. It's been a challenge for him to repeat his delivery and get the ball where he needs to get it consistently.

"You ever watch Eddie Murray taking BP, it was ugly. Some guys know they're going to hit well when they have a bad BP. The bullpen sessions are fine and dandy. That's all great. But it's about the game.

"The same reason why he has such a deceptive delivery is also why he has trouble staying in sync with it. It's very frustrating for him and the pitching coach. That's why when he's in the zone, he's effective."

Jimenez must tighten up his delivery while also becoming quicker to the plate with runners on base. This isn't about one simple adjustment.

"Sometimes, he loses focus or concentration," Showalter said. "I don't know. It's part of his delivery, too. He's got a lot of things he's got to unwind. It's been a challenge for him."

Speaking of challenges, the Orioles must face Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright. It doesn't get any easier after leaving Cleveland.

"There's a simple saying. See it high, let it fly. See it low, let it go," said catcher Caleb Joseph. "Yeah, it's a lot easier said than done. But this guy throws quite a few fastballs and curveballs. I think he's more than (Tim) Wakefield or (R.A.) Dickey in terms of consistency of the knuckler. He'll throw it a lot, but ...

"I've faced him a little bit in the minor leagues and I tried to get real handsy and just make sure to stay on top of the ball. He likes to throw a little higher knuckleball, kind of like floaters that go in there, so you've really got to make sure you stay on top, really try to hit a nice hard line drive, like low."

In other words, keep it simple, stupid.

"Most of the time when you face a knuckleballer, the approach is don't try to do too much. Just try to square it up and hit a line drive. Now, of course, when you see basically a batting practice pitch coming in there, everybody's tendency is to unleash on it because if you catch it right, it will go a long way. It's easier to say than do, but you've got to see it high, let it fly. See it low, let it go. That's what they say."

Today's advance meeting will allow players like Joseph to pass along their experiences to the novices.

"That's one of the good things is before each series, as a group we go in there and hit kind of everybody, not just that day's pitcher. Everybody on the staff," he said. "There will be guys who have faced him and they'll speak up here and there. And we have great video coaches.

"You trade information, you're sharing. That's something I think (Mark) Trumbo has really brought to the table is his wealth of knowledge in terms of sharing information. A real tribute to a lot of guys. I know Rickard's been on him like a dog on a leash. I know that's helped him out a lot."

Joseph could use some assistance with a .175 average and no RBIs going into today's start.

"Caleb will hit," Showalter said. "I know he's getting a little frustrated by it because he knows he's better than that. But it's not one of those things I stay up at night about."

Update: The Orioles fell behind 1-0 in the top of the first when Mookie Betts scored from second base on Xander Bogaerts' nubber in front of the plate. Caleb Joseph fielded the ball and threw out Bogaerts, but Tyler Wilson didn't cover home.

Replays showed that the ball nicked off Bogaerts' foot and should have been ruled foul, but apparently the play can't be reviewed.

Update II: The Red Sox increased their lead to 2-0 in the third on Bogaerts' RBI double that also extended his hitting streak to 23 games. Wilson stranded two runners in scoring position.

Update III: The Orioles tied the game in the fifth on Ryan Flaherty's RBI double after Nolan Reimold led off with a triple and Adam Jones' sacrifice fly after Caleb Joseph singled.

The Orioles were being shut out on one hit before the triple.

Flaherty has an RBI in back-to-back games.

The tie didn't last long. Jackie Bradley, Jr. led off the sixth with a home run.

Update IV: David Ortiz led off the eighth with a home run off rookie Ashur Tolliver and Marco Hernandez hit his first major league home run, a three-run shot off Mychal Givens. Red Sox 7, Orioles 2.

Givens inherted two runners from Tolliver.

Update V: Wright went the distance in Boston's 7-2 win over the Orioles before 43,926 at Camden Yards.

Givens stranded two runners in the ninth.

The Orioles are 28-21 and trail Boston by two games in the American League East.