Ubaldo Jimenez with a gem as O's tie for first AL wild card

TORONTO - Pitching in a ballpark where he lasted just 1/3 of an inning in June and where Orioles pitchers had allowed 54 runs in nine games this year, right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez delivered a gem tonight for the O's.

The right-hander, who earlier this year lost his rotation spot as his ERA ballooned to 7.06, gave up just one single over 6 2/3 scoreless innings as the Orioles beat the Blue Jays 4-0 at Rogers Centre. They silenced a sellout crowd of 47,791.

The win leaves the Orioles and Toronto tied at 87-72 for the first American League wild card spot heading into the regular season's final three games. The Orioles play the Yankees in New York while Toronto travels to face Boston.

Jimenez got into immediate trouble tonight in the first inning when Ezequiel Carrera singled and Josh Donaldson walked. But he then retired Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and Russell Martin in a 23-pitch inning. He needed 23 more pitches in a 1-2-3 second as he ran some deep counts that elevated his pitch count.

But after a leadoff walk in the third, he retired 14 of the last 15 batters he would face tonight. After he got Troy Tulowitzki on a grounder to the mound (a safe call overturned on replay) with two outs in the seventh, Donnie Hart replaced him.

Hart got the last out of the seventh and Brad Brach pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth to finish the shutout. With a 4-0 lead, the Orioles didn't even need closer Zach Britton tonight. The three hurlers combined on a three-hitter.

Jimenez walked three and fanned five as he improved to 8-12 with an ERA of 5.44. He threw a season-high 116 pitches, 71 for strikes, before Buck Showalter called on his bullpen. Over his last seven starts since Aug. 25, Jimenez is 3-2 with a 2.45 ERA.

Jimenez entered this game with a career ERA of 8.41 in six career games at Rogers Centre. And O's starters had an ERA of 7.29 here this year before this outing.

The Orioles took a 1-0 lead tonight in the top of the third. Batting ninth, J.J. Hardy led off with a double to right-center off right-hander Marcus Stroman. He reached third on Adam Jones' groundout to first base. As the infield came in, Hyun Soo Kim drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Then Manny Machado, who to that point was 0-for-9 in the series, drove a deep sac fly to center field. Hardy charged down the line for the 1-0 edge.

The Orioles added to that lead in the fourth. Chris Davis and Jonathan Schoop put together back-to-back singles with one out to put runners on first and third. Michael Bourn hit a grounder to third and third baseman Donaldson threw high to second trying for an inning-ending double play. He did get the out at second, but Bourn beat the relay throw to first for the fielder's choice and a 2-0 Baltimore lead.

Kim came through again as the Orioles added on with a run in the seventh. Bourn drew a leadoff walk and stolen second. With two outs, Kim's ground ball to the right side found the outfield for an RBI hit and 3-0 lead. The O's made it 4-0 an inning later on Mark Trumbo's hustle double and a Matt Wieters single.

The pitchers, led by Jimenez, did the rest.

The Orioles came to Toronto with a record of 2-5 this year at Rogers Centre. But they won this series, even after losing Tuesday, and now it's on to New York in pursuit of a playoff spot and possibly a home wild card game next week.