Leaning against the railing of the visiting dugout at Minute Maid Park in silence, all Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez could do Monday evening was watch one of his best starts of the season go to waste.
Jimenez, who had held the Houston Astros to one run on three hits through his first six innings of work, received a surprisingly quick hook from manager Buck Showalter after giving up a leadoff single in the seventh after his 91st pitch of the night.
He walked off the mound with a one-run lead, but saw usually- dependable reliever Brad Brach blow the lead and the Astros rally for a gut-punch four-run seventh inning, handing the Orioles a 5-2 loss.