Jimenez Sharp For 8 Innings As Orioles Beat Indians 4-0
BALTIMORE (AP) -- The Baltimore Orioles are feeling a whole lot better these days about making Ubaldo Jimenez a $50 million man.
Jimenez pitched eight innings of four-hit ball to win his fourth straight start, Jimmy Paredes and Manny Machado homered and Baltimore defeated the Cleveland Indians 4-0 Sunday in the opener of a split doubleheader.
The victory was the Orioles' 5,000th since their move from St. Louis to Baltimore in 1954.
Jimenez (7-3) struck out seven, walked none and allowed only one runner past first base. After going 6-9 with a 4.81 ERA last year, the right-hander leads the team in wins, strikeouts and owns a solid 3.09 ERA.
That's what the Orioles were looking in February 2014 for 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. "A lot of strike ones, a lot of movement and taking advantage of the counts."
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 during 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."
The Indians were powerless against him.
"That was the Ubaldo we've seen when he was good. It just seemed we were 0-1, 1-2 all day," Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. "We've seen a lot of him nibbling when he's off. We've also seen him a lot like this."
Brian Matusz and Chaz Roe each issued a walk in the ninth.
Jimenez outpitched Trevor Bauer (6-5), who gave up four runs, five hits and a walk over seven innings.
Bauer's road ERA rose from 1.10 to 1.69 after he yielded more than one home run in a game for the first time in 15 starts this season.
"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."
With a 4-1 record against Cleveland and only the nightcap remaining, the Orioles clinched their first season series win against the Indians since 2006. Baltimore has won 14 of 18 to move a season-high six games over .500 (40-34).
Michael Brantley had two hits for the Indians, who have lost six of eight. Jason Kipnis went 0 for 4, ending his 20-game hitting streak.
The second game of the doubleheader, scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m., was the makeup of a rainout on Saturday night.
Paredes put the Orioles ahead in the third inning with a drive to left following a single by Caleb Joseph. Paredes has nine home runs in 55 games after hitting just five in 145 games before this season.
Machado led off the sixth with his 15th homer, a career high. Later in the inning, doubles by Paredes and Chris Davis made it 4-0.
ROSTER MOVES
Indians: Japanese right-hander Toru Murata was brought in from Triple-A Columbus to make his major league debut in the second game.
Orioles: LHP T.J. McFarland was added as the 26th player to give Baltimore a seventh arm in its thin bullpen.
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 for the first time since June 20. Saying he was "bored" watching from the dugout, Jones insisted he was "good to go."
ON DECK
Indians: Cleveland was seeking to avoid being swept for the first time in 16 doubleheaders over the last six seasons.
Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman took a three-game winning streak into the nightcap.
(Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
