TORONTO — Ubaldo Jimenez suffered through the shortest start of his career Sunday afternoon against the Toronto Blue Jays as the Orioles right-hander was yanked from the game in the first inning after retiring just one batter.
Jimenez faced just seven batters – six of them reaching on hits – before he was pulled from the game by manager Buck Showalter after Toronto ran out to a 5-0 lead.
The 32-year-old Jimenez has struggled this season – he entered the afternoon 3-6 with a 6.21 ERA – but Sunday reached a new low as he lasted 1/3 inning, allowing five runs on six hits. The shortest start of his career had been a one-inning outing on July 30, 2011 at San Diego, which was his last start with the Colorado Rockies before he was traded to Cleveland.
Jimenez now has two starts of two innings or shorter in his last four outings and has gone beyond five innings just once in his last seven starts.
His struggles on the road are glaring. Jimenez is now 0-5 with a 10.13 ERA in five road starts this season.
Despite failing behind 5-0 in the first inning, the Orioles have cut the Toronto lead to 7-6 in the fifth inning after hitting five homers.
This story will be updated.
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