O's get swept in New York, fall seven games out of first place

Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez picked a bad day to have a bad game. Needing a win to avoid a sweep, instead the Orioles fell behind 4-0 after one inning and 7-1 after three in a 9-3 loss to the New York Yankees.

The Orioles got swept in this key series and have fallen seven games out of first place. The series result must have O's management pondering the immediate future of a team that has a losing record (46-48) 94 games into the 2015 season.

The Orioles have not been this far from first place since the end of the 2013 season.

The O's headed to New York after two wins in Detroit, hoping to cut into the Yankees' first-place lead. Instead, they leave the series three games further back, and they have lost 14 of their last 19 games. They were swept three straight in New York for the first time since June 1-3, 2010.

Jimenez allowed eight hits and seven runs in just 2 1/3 innings, in his shortest start of the year. He ended the first half by allowing one run in 20 innings over his last three starts. He begins the second half allowing 15 hits and 14 runs in seven innings over two starts. His ERA in those games jumped from 2.81 to 3.81.

Two walks and a single loaded the bases with no outs in the Yankees' first. But then Jimenez got two outs and was close to getting out of the jam. However, Chase Headley's three-run double was followed by a Didi Gregorius RBI single, and it was 4-0. The Yankees outscored the Orioles 8-0 in the first inning this series.

Jacoby Ellsbury went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBIs as New York improved to 53-41 by winning 12 of their last 16 games. The Yankees are 21-7 at home since May 25. Meanwhile the Orioles fall to 19-30 on the road.

Masahiro Tanaka allowed three solo homers among the four hits he gave up over 7 2/3 innings, improving to 7-3 with an ERA of 3.64. This was his first win in three career starts versus Baltimore.

Chris Davis (No. 21) hit a solo shot in the second inning, and then Manny Machado (No. 21) and J.J. Hardy (No. 6) homered off Tanaka in the eighth to end his afternoon. The Orioles were held to eight runs on 16 hits in this series.

Now, the Orioles head to Florida to conclude this road trip, playing Tampa Bay on Friday night when Chris Tillman (7-7, 4.96 ERA) faces Chris Archer (9-7, 2.73 ERA).