Orioles Hit 3 HRs And Beat Indians 8-0 For Sweep
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Chris Tillman pitched seven innings of four-hit ball to win his fourth straight decision, and the Baltimore Orioles breezed past the Cleveland Indians 8-0 Sunday night to complete a doubleheader sweep.
In the afternoon game, Ubaldo Jimenez tossed eight crisp innings and Baltimore got home runs from Jimmy Paredes and Manny Machado in a 4-0 victory.
The sweep boosted the Orioles to the top of the AL East by percentage points over Tampa Bay. Baltimore (41-34) has won 15 of 19 to move a season-high seven games above .500.
It was the first time since Sept. 6, 1974, that the Orioles registered shutouts in both games of a doubleheader, according to STATS. The opposition that day was also Cleveland.
Tillman (6-7) struck out six, walked none and reduced his ERA from 6.22 to 5.67. The right-hander hasn't lost since May 31, even though he surrendered six runs in 1 1/3 innings at Toronto in his last start.
After Baltimore scored two unearned runs in the second inning, Chris Davis, Travis Snider and Chris Parmelee homered in a six-run fourth that made it 8-0.
Cleveland got only two runners past second base all day in absorbing its first doubleheader sweep since Sept. 8, 2009, against Texas. Jason Kipnis, who started the day with a 20-game hitting streak, was a collective 0 for 7 with four strikeouts.
Manager Terry Francona was ejected in the ninth inning of the second game for arguing a third-strike call.
The Indians summoned Toru Murata (0-1) from the minors to make his major league debut in the nightcap. Now in his fifth season in the Cleveland organization, the 30-year-old Japanese right-hander allowed five runs in 3 1/3 innings despite retiring the first five batters he faced.
David Murphy went 4 for 4 for the Indians in the second game.
In the opener, the Orioles collected their 5,000th win since the move from St. Louis to Baltimore in 1954.
Jimenez (7-3) allowed four hits, struck out seven and walked none in winning his fourth consecutive start. After going 6-9 with a 4.81 ERA last year, the right-hander owns a solid 3.09 ERA and leads the team in wins and strikeouts.
This is what the Orioles were looking for in February 2014 when they signed him as a free agent to a four-year, $50 million contract.
"We're getting to see the guy we thought Ubaldo could be," manager Buck Showalter said.
Jimenez came in 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA in three career starts against Cleveland, the team he played for from 2011-13 after winning a combined 34 games with Colorado the previous two seasons.
"Every time I take the mound, I feel like I can give the team a chance to win," Jimenez said. "That's what I did in 2010 and 2009, so I feel that's what I am capable of doing right now."
Jimenez outpitched Trevor Bauer (6-5), who gave up four runs, five hits and a walk over seven innings.
"It's tough when they hit eight or nine balls hard," Bauer said. "Usually I give up eight or nine hard hits in the course of like two or three games."
The second game was a makeup of a rainout Saturday. Baltimore beat the Indians on Friday night and finished 5-1 against Cleveland, winning the season series for the first time since 2006.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Indians: DH/OF Nick Swisher (left knee inflammation) remains with the team as he works to return from the 15-day DL. He's been sidelined since June 14. "It's the hardest thing I've gone through in my life," Swisher said. "I miss crashing into walls every day."
Orioles: CF Adam Jones (sore right shoulder) started in the opener for the first time since June 20. He sat out the nightcap.
ON DECK
Indians: Cleveland sends Cody Anderson to the mound Monday night in the opener of four-game series at Tampa Bay.
Orioles: Baltimore opens a four-game series against the visiting Texas Rangers, who have lost seven of eight.
(Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
