Wrapping up a 5-3 win

NEW YORK - The Orioles hadn't won a series in their last six attempts since the four-game sweep of the Athletics on Aug. 14-17. It probably felt like an eternity as the losses piled up and more teams moved ahead of them in the chase for the second wild card.

A few streaks ended tonight with their 5-3 victory over the Yankees.

The Orioles finally won another series and a starting pitcher worked more than 5 2/3 innings for the first time in 11 games.

Ubaldo Jimenez retired 12 in a row and 13 of the last 14 batters he faced while improving to 11-9 with a 4.22 ERA. His 11 victories lead the team.

Steve Pearce broke a 3-3 tie with a solo home run off Adam Warren in the eighth inning, Darren O'Day retired all three batters he faced and Zach Britton induced two ground balls and struck out Alex Rodriguez on three pitches for his 32nd save.

Pearce's other go-ahead home run in the eighth inning or later came with the Pirates on Sept. 23, 2008 in Milwaukee.

Britton recorded saves on consecutive nights by retiring all six batters in routine fashion.

The Orioles are five games below .500 and remain one ahead of last-place Boston and one behind third-place Tampa Bay.

How important was winning this series?

"It's big," Pearce said. "We need it. We backed ourselves into a corner, so it was nice to take two of three, especially here.

"It definitely feels great to contribute, especially in a big game. We need this win and everybody did good. We're all backed into a corner. Ubaldo did great, (Chris) Davis keeps hitting the ball. We know we're a long shot, but we're still not out of this thing."

It helps the cause when a starter works deep into a game. Jimenez was removed after seven innings and 92 pitches.

"It's great. We need that," Pearce said. "He kept us in the ballgame. He was working quick, not allowing baserunners, and that's all you can ask from a pitcher. It was nice. It got our offense back in the dugout and that's what we need."

The Orioles need as many wins as they can muster after losing 15 of 18 games.

"It starts now," Pearce said "You can't take anything for granted. We haven't been playing good baseball, but there's still a lot of baseball left and we can turn it around. And we can start with this series."

Jimenez has won his last two starts. He didn't walk a batter tonight after issuing six free passes in 5 2/3 innings in Toronto.

"The first thing is the command of the fastball," he said. "I was able to throw the sinker down most of the time and I think that's what was working. I was getting ahead and staying ahead."

Jimenez more closely resembed the pitcher who so good in the first half.

"I feel like my mechanics are better," he said. "It's like how I was in the first half. I get on the mound and try to get people out. I'm not thinking about mechanics right now."

Manager Buck Showalter said Jimenez was on a mission tonight.

"Yeah," Jimenez said. "You want to go with everything you have for the last month of the season. I know things haven't been the way we want them to after the second half (started), but you have to finish strong. You have to go with everything you have until the last day."

The starters no longer have to hear about the streak of failing to complete six innings.

"As starting pitchers, we take a lot of pride in getting deep into games, and when it's not happening you definitely don't feel good," Jimenez said. "It's disappointing, but it's always a part of the game. You try to do everything you can four days before you start to get ready for that game, and when things don't go your way it feels really bad. But you have to keep moving forward and finish strong."

Few people believe the Orioles can finish as one of the two wild cards, but they aren't listening. To them, there's still time to make a final push.

"That's the way you have to think," Jimenez said. "You can't be thinking that we're out of it. You have to take every game like it's your last and try to go with everything you have and let's see what happens."

Here's a sampling from Showalter:

On winning the series:
"We found a lot of things the last couple of nights that looks like the things that we did this season to be in first place and be more competitive and things we've done the last three or four years, especially during the game. And some tack-on runs and some good defense, so that was good to see. The consistency of the team is usually dictated by the consistency of your starting pitching."

On Jimenez:
"He was good. Actually, early in the game he had two or three strikes on the inner half that he didn't get until a couple of innings later. That was frustrating for him. I don't think he walked anybody, did he? He was in attack mode. He had a really good split tonight. He and Caleb (Joseph) were on the same page. He had a good tempo."

On Pearce coming back from injury to contribute:
"Like all our guys when they're out of the lineup, they remind you, just the influence of a guy like J.J. (Hardy) being back. We don't lament it. We don't talk about guys being hurt. Everybody's got them, the Yankees have them. Stevie's an integral part of what we've done the last couple of years, and tonight is a reminder."

On whether people counted out the Orioles too soon:
"You can't be thinking that we're out of it. You have to take every game like it's your last and try to go with everything you have and let's see what happens. We're going to try to win out. We take every day as a start. I tell them all the time in advanced meetings, 'Today is an opportunity to do the things we're capable of doing.' And that's what we are going to try to do Friday against another good club."

More on Jimenez:
"He's on a little mission. I can tell. He wasn't too happy. He wanted to finish up strong. Is he leading us in wins? He doesn't want to judge his contributions compared to other guys. It's just, you've seen him pitch well many times this year in a tough environment on the road like he did tonight, against a good team that's scratching and clawing for everything."

On Davis, who reached base five times:
"They throw a ball over this head, hit him. Not intentionally, but that's the type of stuff good hitters have to deal with. They're pitching him hard in. Much like (Nick) Markakis. It reminded me a lot of how they used to have to pitch Nick in there with (CC) Sabathia. Chris hung in there and never gave in and made them pay."