CLEVELAND — Orioles manager Buck Showalter didn't intend to use the elements as an excuse to explain his team's 2-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Saturday, but he was quick to point out the obstacles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez faced on a dry, blustery day at Progressive Field, as well as his hitters' struggles with shadows as the game progressed following a late-afternoon start.
The results, however, were much of the same for the inconsistent Orioles offense, which failed to capitalize on Jimenez's ability to work his way out of trouble in every inning, allowing just one run despite allowing 12 base runners in five innings and tying a career high with six walks.
The Orioles (25-30), who entered the game looking to win three consecutive games for the first time since the last week of April, now must win Sunday's rubber match in Cleveland to avoid three straight series losses.
As a team, the Orioles issued eight walks, but the most costly was Brach Brach's two-out free pass to Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis in the sixth. Kipnis would score the game's winning run, breaking a 1-1 tie on Carlos Santana's RBI double to the right-field corner.
Indians right-hander Danny Salazar (6-1), who had failed to get through six innings in three of his previous four starts, held the Orioles to one run — Manny Machado's solo homer in the third — on six hits over seven innings. He struck out 10 and walked just one.
"He had all his pitches working," Machado said. "He was commanding his fastball, commanding his off-speed pitches and he was keeping us off balance. His fastball is not easy when it's coming in hot and he had the other stuff to back it up. … It was tough to see out there also. There's a lot to it and you just have to tip your cap."
Once the Indians took the lead in the sixth, and the shadows crept onto the playing field, a difficult day became worse for the Orioles hitters.
"One of those days when you knew runs were going to be at a minimum because Salazar is tough and the shadows and a lot of challenges that pitchers and hitters faced today," Showalter said. "They did a better job handling it."
Jimenez said he had control issues — his six walks doubled his previous season high — because he struggled getting a grip on the ball on a chilly Cleveland day that was accompanied by 25-mph gusts. He battled to control his sinker, his signature pitch, all day.
"It was the grip," Jimenez said. "It was like I had baby powder in my fingers because I couldn't grip the ball. It was hard today. … Those kind of games, you just have to work hard to try to grind every single inning and keep the score as close as you can."
Jimenez loaded the bases with one out in the second, but used back-to-back called strikeouts on Michael Bourn and Jose Ramirez to escape the inning.
He issued back-to-back walks to open the third, but induced a double play when Michael Brantley lined out to shortstop J.J. Hardy, who tossed the ball to Ryan Flaherty at second to catch Kipnis off the bag. Jimenez issued another walk, and Nick Swisher hit an RBI single to score Cleveland's only run off the Orioles starter. Jimenez recovered to strike out Lonnie Chisenhall to end the inning.
Jimenez stranded runners at second and third in the fourth and left two on base in the fifth, exiting the game after 107 pitches.
"I was really proud of the way he battled," catcher Caleb Joseph said. "He really grinded that one out. I think that's new Ubaldo. I think last year, you probably would have seen a few more runs. But he definitely kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win. And given the circumstances, I was really proud of him and how he kept us in the game right there."
Brach (3-2), making his first appearance since allowing three runs in two-thirds of an inning Monday in Houston, retired the first two batters he faced in the sixth, but then walked Kipnis. Santana laced a 94-mph first-pitch fastball into the right-field corner, allowing Kipnis to score from first. It was Brach's second loss in as many outings.
Jimenez — who has received 3.3 runs of support per start, the most of any Orioles starter — didn't get much backing Saturday as the Orioles finished with just six hits.
Machado stepped to the plate with one out in the third and took a first-pitch 92-mph fastball the opposite way over the right-field fence for his ninth homer of the season, giving the Orioles a 1-0 lead.
"I was just being aggressive," Machado said. "I know he has an overpowering fastball and he's going to try to get ahead in the counts quick, so just trying to go out there and make some good contact and the ball left the yard."
After Machado's homer, an Orioles base runner reached second just once the rest of the game. The Orioles put the leadoff man on base in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, but couldn't take advantage.
The game ended on a delayed double play. After Chris Davis drew a one-out walk, Matt Wieters struck out. The ball got away from Indians catcher Yan Gomes, who recovered in time to throw Davis out attempting to advance to second.
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