Jimenez outlasts Price (O's win 3-1)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - One start after tossing 7 1/3 scoreless innings, Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez didn't make it through the sixth tonight. He did, however, exit with a lead that still stands. Jimenez is charged with one run and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings, with two walks, three strikeouts and a hit batter. He threw 117 pitches, one fewer than his season high, including 74 for strikes. Jimenez was removed after back-to-back singles by Wil Myers and David DeJesus. Ryan Webb replaced him and induced a ground ball from Yunel Escobar that got Myers caught in a rundown between third and home. It took a while, but the Orioles recorded the out. Score it 5-2-6-3. Ryan Hanigan pinch-hit with two runners in scoring position and bounced sharply to J.J. Hardy, who made a tremendous play to field the ball cleanly. There are plenty of shortstops who would have been eaten alive by it. Sign that man to an extension. Jimenez has allowed one run in his last 12 1/2 innings, but he couldn't give the rotation it's 11th quality start. Left-hander T.J. McFarland was warming in the fifth as the Rays loaded the bases with one out on a walk, infield hit and hit batter. The Orioles turned a 6-4-3 double play on Evan Longoria's grounder, with Steve Pearce managing to keep his foot on the bag while lunging for Jonathan Schoop's throw. Rays manager Joe Maddon challenged the call and lost. Rays left-hander David Price is gone after 100 pitches. He didn't retire a batter in the sixth, with Adam Jones and Matt Wieters singling and Hardy walking. Brad Boxberger replaced him and struck out the side on nine pitches. In a two-run game, that inning could come back to bite the Orioles. Update: It took a while, but the Orioles completed the three-game sweep with a 3-1 victory over the Rays before 11,076 at Tropicana Field. Somehow, the Rays only scored once in this game. Brian Matusz retired all four batters he faced, stranding two runners in the seventh inning. Darren O'Day worked the ninth for his second save, getting a huge double play out of Desmond Jennings after back-to-back singles to open the inning. Tommy Hunter pitched the last two nights. There's no closer controversy. Jimenez was 0-4 in April, but he's 2-0 in May. The Orioles (18-14) are a season-high four games above .500. They swept the Rays in a three-game series in St. Petersburg for the first time since April 1-3, 2011.