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Indians pitcher Jimenez beats Rays 7-3

CLEVELAND — Ubaldo Jimenez struck out eight over six innings and Shelley Duncan hit a two-run homer to help the Cleveland Indians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 Saturday.

The Indians got three doubles in the second inning off rookie Matt Moore (5-6) as they jumped to a 3-0 lead.

Jimenez (8-7) allowed a two-run homer to Luke Scott in the fourth, but otherwise was in command. The right-hander gave up five hits and walked only one.

Duncan’s homer — his fourth in his past six games — came off reliever Wade Davis and made it 7-2 in the eighth.

Cleveland’s fourth win in five games kept the second-place Indians three games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central. The Rays have lost nine of 13.

Everything seemed to go the Indians’ way, even when they appeared to make an out. They got a reprieve in the seventh inning when plate umpire Scott Berry overruled his partner at first base Jerry Meals. With two outs and none on, Jose Lopez grounded to Tampa Bay shortstop Sean Rodriguez, whose low throw was scooped up by first baseman Carlos Pena and the Rays left the field.

Cleveland manager Manny Acta protested that Pena bobbled the ball and did not have control. Berry agreed, allowing Lopez to remain at first and ordering the Rays to go back to the field. Carlos Santana then hit a fly ball to left field for the inning’s final out.

Jimenez won for the first time in three starts. He got out of a first-inning jam by firing a called third strike past Jeff Keppinger with two runners on base. He then pitched efficiently except in the fourth, when Ben Zobrist hit a leadoff double and scored on Scott’s two-out shot over the wall in center.

The right-hander lowered his ERA to 4.50 with his seventh straight start of six or more innings. Since giving up seven runs in a 12-6 loss to the White Sox on May 27 that ballooned his ERA to a season-high 5.79, Jimenez has a 2.93 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 46 innings.

The Indians bunched five of their runs into the second and third innings against Moore, who had won four straight.

Michael Brantley hit a leadoff double and after Duncan reached on a one-out walk, Lou Marson hit a bloop to left that fell in front of a diving Desmond Jennings for an RBI double. Duncan scored on a groundout and Aaron Cunningham doubled home Marson.

Doubles by Lopez and Carlos Santana mixed with two more walks helped make it 5-0 in the third. Brantley had an RBI groundout and Santana a run-scoring double.

Moore tied a season high with five walks — in only 4 2-3 innings. The left-hander lost for the first time in seven starts since May 28, giving up five runs and five hits.

B.J. Upton hit his seventh homer in the ninth off Cleveland reliever Esmil Rogers.

NOTES: Cleveland optioned LHP Nick Hagadone to Triple-A Columbus and used a 24-man roster. The Indians will recall LHP Scott Barnes from Columbus on Sunday. ... Rays manager Joe Maddon said he has no idea when 3B Evan Longoria will return. The three-time All-Star has been out since May 1 with a partially torn left hamstring. Jeff Keppinger started at third. He had been out since Wednesday with a bruised left tricep after being he was hit by a pitch. ... Maddon said OF Hideki Matsui’s tight left hamstring has improved, but he’s still likely to be limited to being the DH.

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