Jimenez goes seven as Orioles top the Royals 2-1

ORIOLES 2, ROYALS 1

BALTIMORE — Just when it seemed safe to write off Ubaldo Jimenez for good, the beleaguered Orioles right-hander puts together back-to-back strong starts to preserve his place in the starting rotation.

Jimenez, who pitched a strong six innings in a tough loss to the Tampa Rays last Wednesday, came back to deliver an impressive seven-inning performance in the Orioles’ walk-off 2-1 victory over the sizzling Kansas City Royals before 20,663 at Oriole Park.

The Royals came into the game with 10 wins in their last 11 games, but Jimenez held them to just a run on five hits. He struck out six and walked just two to reduce his ERA to 6.56.

The O’s won the game with in the ninth inning on a two-out single by No. 9 hitter Craig Gentry, who poked a grounder through the middle of the infield to scored Caleb Joseph and give the Orioles their third straight victory. It was Gentry’s first career walk-off hit.

The only Kansas City run scored off Jimenez came in the first inning on a pair of solid doubles by Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer. The Orioles came back to tie the game against Royals starter Danny Duffy in the fifth inning, when Manny Machado doubled Duffy turned in a performance that was almost identical to Jimenez’s, pitching seven innings and allowing a run on seven hits. He also struck out six.

Neither starter would be around for the decision. Mychal Givens took over for Jimenez in the eighth and right-hander Peter Moylan replaced Duffy. Zach Britton came on in the ninth for the Orioles and got the victory. Joakim Soria took the loss.

Machado continues to dig out of the low .200s after a long struggle to make his batting average more consistent with his solid run-production numbers. He doubled in two of his first three at-bats to raise his average to .246. Machado ranks 18th among third basemen in batting average, but is among the top 10 in

doubles (23) and home runs (18).

Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good. Schoop was both on Monday. He delivered another multi — hit game, reaching base on a squirrelly ground ball that eluded to fielders and driving home the game-tying run in the fifth inning with a soft flyball single in the fifth. That raised his team-leading average to .307.

Givens pitched a perfect eighth inning, striking out two, to complete a very impressive month. He allowed just one run in July — on a

home run by Tampa Bay’s Jesus Sucre — over 12 appearances and 121/3 innings. He struck out 18 and walked just one.

RED SOX 6, INDIANS 2 Doug Fister finally ended a long drought and rookie Rafael Devers continued his torrid start in the big leagues. Fister took a shutout into the eighth inning, Devers went 4 for 4 and drove in a run and the Boston Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 6-2 on Monday night. In six big-league games, the 20-year-old Devers is batting .417 (10 for 24) with four RBIs. For the 33-year-old Fister, it was his first win since Aug. 22 of last season when he was with Houston, ending a 10-game losing streak. Mookie Betts stopped his mini-slump by driving in three runs with two singles, and Eduardo Nunez added three hits and two RBIs for the Red Sox.

YANKEES 7, TIGERS 3 Aaron Judge broke out of a slump with his 34th home run, regaining sole possession of the major league lead, and Chase Headley sparked the New York Yankees at the plate Monday night in their 7-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Luis Severino beat Michael Fulmer in a matchup of young All-Stars on the mound, though neither was at his best. Hours after acquiring Sonny Gray from Oakland at the trade deadline, Headley put the AL East leaders ahead to stay with a two-run double in a four-run fourth inning. Todd Frazier followed with a tworun single, and Judge hit a solo shot in the fifth. Headley finished with three hits as New York won for the ninth time in 11 games.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

NATIONALS 1, MARLINS 0 Washington lefty Gio Gonzalez lost his no-hit bid in the ninth inning when Dee Gordon led off with a clean single, and the Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 1-0 Monday night. Gonzalez was pulled after Gordon hit a soft liner the opposite way to left-center field. He threw 106 pitches. Gonzalez (9-5), who grew up in nearby Hialeah, walked three, hit a batter and struck out five. He retired 14 in a row during one stretch. Sean Doolittle relieved and got NL home run leader Giancarlo Stanton to ground into a double play. After Christian Yelich beat out an infield single, Marcell Ozuna popped out, giving Doolittle his fourth save since being acquired from Oakland and seventh this season. The game was the Nationals’ first at Marlins Park since ace Max Scherzer took a no-hitter into the eighth but lost on June 21. There has been only one no-hitter in the majors this year — Miami’s Edinson Volquez threw it at this ballpark last month against Arizona. Jose Urena (9-5) allowed just three hits in eight innings.

PHILLIES 7, BRAVES 6 Odubel Herrera and Maikel Franco hit homers, Nick Pivetta threw six sharp innings and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 7-6 Monday afternoon to complete a four-game sweep. Pivetta (4-6) gave up one run and three hits, striking out five. Kurt Suzuki and Freddie Freeman went deep for Atlanta. Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz (9-6) allowed five runs and seven hits in four innings. The Phillies have won five in a row.