BALTIMORE _ The Orioles found themselves on the wrong end of another early inning meltdown by Ubaldo Jimenez on Monday night, but everything turned out all right again.
Somehow, Jimenez has managed to remain undefeated through four starts, even though he has only pitched well in one of them.
Of course, he's not exactly 4-0, but the Orioles have still won all of his starts after pounding three home runs off Tampa Bay ace Chris Archer on the way to a soggy 6-3 victory over the Rays before an announced 11,142 at Camden Yards.
The Rays jumped out to an instant lead when leadoff man Corey Dickerson homered in the first inning. After the Orioles tied the game in the third, Tampa Bay increased its lead to two runs when Jimenez spun out of control in the fourth and bunched four walks around a two-run double by outfielder Shane Peterson.
To that point, Archer was very much in control. He allowed just one run on two hits through five innings and got the first two outs in the sixth before the Orioles started to flex their muscle. Hyun Soo Kim, who was making only his sixth start of the season, drove a towering fly ball over the center-field fence for his first home run. Jonathan Schoop followed moments later with his fifth homer of the year to tie the game.
The decisive swing came from Adam Jones, who had three hits in the game and delivered his 1,500th career hit in his previous at-bat. He scalded a two-run shot into the left-field bleachers in the seventh inning _ his fourth homer of the season.
Jimenez (1-0, 5.95 ERA) was long gone by then. He lasted just 3 1/3 innings in a disappointing follow-up to his terrific performance Wednesday night in Cincinnati. The chance to win this game was preserved by long reliever Vidal Nuno, who came on to keep the game close in the fourth by striking two batters with the bases loaded.
Nuno was followed by Mychal Givens, Donnie Hart and fill-in closer Brad Brach in another airtight performance by the Orioles bullpen, which has allowed just two runs over its past 23 innings.
The rain started under threat of rain and it fell sporadically throughout the game, but was not intense enough to interrupt the game until a quick cloudburst brought out the tarp in the bottom of the eighth.
