O's take Archer deep three times, win series opener (quotes added)

In his first four starts over 25 1/3 innings this year, Tampa Bay right-hander Chris Archer did not allow a home run. He didn't yield one through 5 2/3 innings tonight in the series opener against the Orioles.

But then the Orioles hit three off Archer in a span of five batters to come from behind for a 6-3 victory at cold and sometimes rainy Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

With the game tied 3-3 in the seventh, Archer hit Seth Smith with a pitch and Adam Jones followed with the 1,501st hit of his career. It was a two-run shot to left that made him 3-for-3 and gave Baltimore the 5-3 advantage. It was No. 4 for Jones on a first-pitch slider. He now has 10 RBIs. The O's added a run in the eighth on Jonathan Schoop's sac fly for a three-RBI night.

With the win, their fifth in six games, the first-place Orioles are 13-5 for the season and 11-4 in games against the American League East. They are 7-2 at home.

Down 3-1 in the sixth, the Orioles went to the longball as Hyun Soo Kim and Schoop hit back-to-back homers off Archer for the 3-3 tie. Kim drilled one out 404 feet to right-center, his first of the season, and Schoop hit a rare opposite-field homer to right on a first-pitch slider. It was No. 5 for Schoop, who has five homers and 10 RBIs his past 12 games. To that point, Archer's homerless streak had reached 31 innings.

Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jiménez was coming off his longest outing in which he did not allow a run since Aug. 8, 2015. He threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings last week in Cincinnati, but he could not follow that up.

Corey Dickerson led off the game with a solo homer. Jiménez was gone during Tampa Bay's two-run fourth, which featured four walks by the right-hander.

Shane Peterson's two-run double to right in the fourth gave Tampa Bay a 3-1 lead. The ball hit right on or near the right field line. The call on the field was a fair ball, and it was upheld after a manager challenge that lasted 1 minute, 49 seconds.

Jimenez walked the bases loaded around a strikeout to set up the rally. After another walk that followed Peterson's double, he was hooked for lefty Vidal Nuño. Nuno fanned Dickerson and Kevin Kiermaier looking to end that threat. That kept the Orioles down by two runs.

Over 3 1/3 innings, Jiménez allowed three hits and three runs with five walks and three strikeouts. He was averaging 61 percent strikes on his pitches, but tonight was at 45 percent with only 35 of 78 in the zone.

Archer, who entered with a career 3-6 record and 4.50 ERA versus the Orioles, allowed five runs over 6 2/3 innings. He takes the loss and is 2-1 with an ERA of 3.94.

Nuño pitched 2 2/3 scoreless frames and Mychal Givens followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Donnie Hart got the last out of the eighth and Brad Brach pitched the ninth, recording his fourth save in four chances. The bullpen recorded 5 2/3 scoreless innings tonight.

The Orioles host the Rays in the second game of this series on Tuesday night. Lefty Wade Miley (1-0, 1.89 ERA) pitches against right-hander Erasmo Ramírez (2-0, 3.07 ERA).

Here are quotes from the clubhouse:

Jones on getting career hits Nos. 1,500 and 1,501: "It means I've been playing this game at a high level for a while. Pretty special to share with all my teammates. It's tribute to them pushing me when we stand on the field and just trying to play the game hard."

Jones on playing in the cold: "The rule of thumb in the big leagues is its 75 and sunny every day. I heard that as a rookie coming up with Seattle and I try to tell other people that. In the big leagues, it's 75 and sunny, no matter if it's 30 and raining. Got to trick yourself into playing and understand that they've got to deal with it also. Mind over matter and got out and do what you've got to do."

Jones on the club hitting three homers off Archer: "Balls were up. Schoop's ball was up. Mine was a hanging slider. Kim's was actually a pretty good pitch down, but lefties like the ball down. That's why we play this game pretty much. Things are going to happen on a given day. Somebody can go out and shove for six innings and in that seventh inning, you never know what could happen. That's why we play. Because there's no predictions and no assumptions in this game. The team won. That's the ultimate thing. I seen him (Archer) well today. I was just more prepared and ready."

Nuño on pitching out of a jam in the fourth: "Just coming in and do my job. Throw strikes and don't get overexcited. I just kept with the gameplan and just keep pounding the zone. That's what I've been doing the last couple of outings and it's getting better each time. Cutter has been my go-to, but lately the fastball. The fastballs were the key to get those strikeouts."

Jiménez on not being able to pitch well for the second start in a row and the cold weather: "I didn't have a good grip tonight. I wasn't able to throw any breaking balls for strikes. I think I only threw a couple good splits, but besides that I couldn't get a grip on the sinker or the breaking balls. Yeah, I don't like to use anything like that as an excuse, But I didn't have a grip. I couldn't get a grip (in the cold)."