Indians Vs. Orioles Final: Offense's 1 Good Inning Not Enough In Baltimore's 8-3 Win

The Indians played well for the first half of today's game in Baltimore, then watched the Orioles score in each of their last four at bats, as the Tribe fell back into a tie for first place with the Detroit Tigers, losing to the Birds 8-3 for a split of their four-game series.

The way this one started, it looked like Cleveland might be on their way to winning the series, but first-inning highlights were tempered by a first-inning lowlight, and the Tribe never was able to get things rolling again.

With two outs in the first, Travis Hafner belted his ninth home run with a drive to right-center that just made it into the first row of the seats for a 1-0 Indians' lead. The very next batter, Carlos Santana, hit his 15th, a no-doubter as far as distance, leaving the park down the right field line, but only ruled a homer after review of the drive that sailed far over the foul pole.

Then Grady Sizemore hit a bloop to left and seemed to come up lame twice on his way to second, where he slid in safely for a double. Sizemore tried to run it off in the outfield, but had to be pulled from the game with what is being called a bruise to the same right knee that disabled him earlier this season.

Two batters later Matt LaPorta drove home pinch-runner Ezequiel Carrera with a single and the Tribe was on top 3-0.

For four innings Jeanmar Gomez (0-2, 5.70 ERA) made most of the lead hold up. Baltimore did score in the second when Adam Jones homered to make it 3-1, but halfway through, the Tribe was still looking good.

But it is worth noting that the Indians stranded two in the second when Santana struck out and stranded two more in the third when Lonnie Chisenhall fanned, ending Orioles' starter Mitch Atkins' day.

Then in the fifth the Tribe stranded two more off of reliever (and winner) Mark Hendrickson (1-0, 4.50 ERA) when Travis Buck grounded into a double play with runners at first and second.

Baltimore took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Matt Wieters singled leading off, and -- after Derrek Lee struck out -- Mark Reynolds singled, putting runners at first and second.

Then Robert Andino cleared the bases with a three-run blast, and just like that, Baltimore led 4-3.

Gomez started the Baltimore sixth, but, with one out, Nick Markakis went deep, making if 5-3 Orioles and ending Gomez's day. Jeanmar ended up surrendering five runs on six hits, walking none and fanning two, but allowing three long balls.

Chad Durbin came on for the Indians and retired the side without allowing a baserunner, but in the seventh, Joe Smith entered and gave up his first earned runs since May 8 -- a span of 27 appearances.

But first the Tribe blew a golden opportunity in the top of the seventh.

Against new reliever Michael Gonzales -- who saved Saturday's Baltimore win -- Santana singled with one out, and Carrera followed with a base hit, moving Santana to second.

That was all for Gonzales, as Jim Johnson came on for the Orioles. Johnson was greeted by the Indians' third straight hit, a single by LaPorta, and the bases were loaded with the Indians down two.

But Buck grounded into a fielder's choice, retiring Santana at the plate, and when Chisenhall struck out, the threat was history.

Then came Baltimore's rally against Smith that put the game away.

Lee doubled leading off, and after Reynolds' ground out sent Lee to third, Andino reached on an error on LaPorta at first, scoring Lee and sending Andino to second. After a ground out and a walk, J.J. Hardy gave the Orioles a 7-3 advantage with a single to center. Smith was able to retire Markakis, but the damage was done.

Frank Herrmann came on for the Indians in the eighth and gave up a homer to Wieters for the final margin.

After their aborted rally in the seventh, the Tribe went quietly in both the eighth and the ninth, being retired in order in both frames against Johnson (in the eighth) and Koji Uehara in the ninth.

Cleveland ended up with 10 hits in the game, with Santana, Buck and Luis Valbuena all pitching in with a pair, but the Tribe stranded 11, and that isn't getting it done against a Baltimore team that is buried in the cellar of the AL East.

The Tigers, after being behind the White Sox early, 3-0, came back to win 4-3, leaving both the Indians and Detroit five games over .500. Detroit is off tomorrow, and should Cleveland split its day/night doubleheader in Minnesota, the Tribe and Tigers would each be 50-45.

The first game of tomorrow's split twin-bill will see the Indians sending David Huff at 1:10, while Fausto Carmona comes back from the disabled list to make the start at 8:10.

Jeanmar Gomez Tries To Earn A Longer Stay In Cleveland; A Win Over Baltimore Today Would Help

Baltimore’s Mitch Atkins will take on newly called-up Jeanmar Gomez as the Orioles and the Indians wrap up their four-game series this afternoon at 1:35 in Baltimore.

Atkins (0-0, 8.22 ERA) will be making only his third start of the season. He has been a mixed bag in his first two appearances. Atkins held Texas to one run in six innings on July 5, but on the 10th was knocked out early against the Boston Red Sox, giving up six runs in only 1.2 frames.

Atkins has never faced the Tribe.

Gomez has faced the Orioles once in his career and is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA vs. the Birds. This will be Gomez’s second stint in the Majors this season. In four starts earlier this year, Gomez went 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA. In 18.1 innings, Gomez has allowed a slew of baserunners, having surrendered 28 hits and five walks, to go with nine K’s.

The Indians will head to Minnesota after today’s game to take on the Twins in a day/night doubleheader tomorrow to kick off a four-game series at Target Field.

Cleveland retained their one-game lead over the Tigers yesterday when Detroit lost to the White Sox for the second straight game. Chicago has crept to within four games, and Minnesota is only six games back in what is starting to turn into a four-team race in the American League Central.

Indians Vs. Orioles Final: Tribe's 3-Run 9th Not Enough As Baltimore Wins 6-5

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Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) – Nick Markakis went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and three runs scored and the Baltimore Orioles hung on to snap a nine- game losing streak with a 6-5 win over the Cleveland Indians in the third contest of a four-game set.

Adam Jones and Felix Pie both drove in two runs while Derrek Lee added an RBI for the Orioles, who are just 2-14 in their last 16 games.

“This was a big win and a big monkey off our back,” said Pie. “As long as we keep playing the game right and doing all the things we need to do we will be successful. We have good starting pitching on this team and we need to take advantage of that.”

Alfredo Simon (2-2) grabbed the win as he gave up just two runs on three hits with a walk and five strikeouts over seven innings.

Orlando Cabrera hit a three-run double in the ninth while Michael Brantley hit a two-run double in the sixth inning for the Indians, who had taken the first two games of the series after dropping the final three games of a four-game set against Toronto.

Carlos Carrasco (8-7) dropped his third straight start after giving up three runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts over seven innings.

The Orioles held a comfortable four-run lead going to the ninth and Kevin Gregg came on to close. He struck out Brantley to start the inning, but then walked the next three batters to load the bases. After Lonnie Chisenhall struck out, Cabrera roped a bases-clearing double to the gap in right-center to make it a one-run game.

Mike Gonzalez then came on and got Grady Sizemore to ground out for his first save of the season.

Baltimore got on the board in the first inning after J.J. Hardy led off with a double and later scored on an Adam Jones sacrifice fly.

Markakis, who got his 1,000th career hit on Friday, led off the fourth with a double and scored when Lee later singled him home for a 2-0 advantage.

The Indians tied the game in the sixth. Austin Kearns led off with an infield single and Lou Marson walked. Both runners moved up a base on Ezequiel Carrera’s ground out and Brantley brought them home with a two-base hit.

Markakis, though, gave his team the lead back in the bottom of the frame with a one-out solo homer to right.

Baltimore gave itself some needed runs in the eighth. With one out, Markakis doubled and came home when Jones followed with a double. Later in the frame with the bases loaded, Pie doubled home two for a 6-2 advantage.

The Indians had won the previous five games against Baltimore this season…Cleveland’s bullpen entered the game having not surrendered a run or hit in 10 innings, but gave up three runs on three hits in the eighth inning on Saturday…Baltimore batted 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position…After the game, the Orioles announced that they have optioned pitcher Pedro Viola to Double-A Bowie and will make a corresponding roster move on Sunday.

Carlos Carrasco Tries To Bounce Back Vs. O's On Saturday At 7:05

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(Sports Network) – The Cleveland Indians will try to hold on to their slim lead in the AL Central when they take on the Baltimore Orioles in the third installment of a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

Some times the All-Star break gives players a chance to rejuvenate and get ready for the final stretch of the season. Hopefully that is the case for Carlos Carrasco, who claimed eight wins in the first half of the year, but went into the break on a down note.

Over his last two starts the young hurler surrendered 11 runs on 17 hits over just seven innings of work. To make matters worse both losses came at home.

However, the Indians are on the road this evening and not surprisingly Carrasco has been better playing as the visitor. In nine starts on the road this year the right-hander is 5-1 with an impressive 2.59 earned run average.

The 24-year-old has never squared off against Baltimore.

The Orioles will counter with Alfredo Simon. Simon has only made one previous start this season, and the rest of his appearances have come out of the bullpen.

Overall, the 30-year-old is just 1-2 on the season and holds a weak 4.85 earned run average.

Simon has never started against the Tribe, but he has faced Cleveland once. However, it was an appearance the right-hander would like to forget. In what turned out to be a loss and a blown save, the crafty righty allowed four runs on three hits and one walk.

On Friday, Lonnie Chisenhall drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth and the Indians held on to take a 6-5 win over the Orioles.

Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore each hit two-run home runs and Michael Brantley went 3-for-5 with a run scored for the Indians, who have taken the first two games of this set and are a game ahead of Detroit in the Central.

Josh Tomlin (11-4) won his fourth straight decision despite a sub-par outing as he gave up five runs on six hits with a walk over five innings.

Adam Jones went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and three RBI while Matt Wieters and Nolan Reimold each added solo shots for the Orioles, who have lost nine straight and 14 of 15.

Jake Arrieta was tagged for five runs on eight hits over five innings. Jim Johnson (5-3) took the loss as he gave up a run over two innings of work.

Cleveland swept a three-game home series versus Baltimore from April 15-17 and has won six straight and 15 of the previous 21 meetings between the teams.

Indians Vs. Orioles Final: Tomlin Wins His 11th Game With Major Boost From The Bullpen

Josh Tomlin earned his 11th win of the season on Friday night, but in truth it was the offense and the Cleveland bullpen that were most responsible for a 6-5 win that moved the Indians a game ahead of the Detroit Tigers, who lost with Justin Verlander on the mound at home to the Chicago White Sox.

Tomlin (11-4, 4.03 ERA) lasted only five innings and allowed all five Orioles’ runs as well as three homers. Tomlin gave up six hits and walked one while striking out three, but thanks to the Tribe taking the lead in the top of the sixth and holding it the rest of the way, Tomlin has now won his last four decisions.

The Indians drew first blood in the second inning off of Orioles’ starter Jake Arrieta when Grady Sizemore led off with a double and scored on a two-out single from Matt LaPorta, but the Orioles came right back in their half when Matt Wieters and Nolan Reimold both hit solo shots off of Tomlin to give Baltimore a 2-1 lead.

Cleveland re-took the lead in the third when Michael Brantley led off with a single and rode home on a two-run jack to the opposite field from Asdrubal Cabrera, putting the Tribe up 3-2.

The homer was Cabrera’s 16th of the season and second in two nights.

Back came Baltimore to tie the game in the bottom of the third on an Adam Jones RBI double with two outs.

In the fifth, with two outs and Travis Hafner on base after walking, Sizemore hit his tenth home run of the season to right-center and the Indians led 5-3. But once again, Tomlin let the Birds right back into the game when Jones hit a two-run blast, tying the game at 5-5.

In the Tribe sixth, Lonnie Chisenhall followed LaPorta’s leadoff double off of reliever Jim Johnson (5-3, 2.82 ERA) with a run-scoring single, and for the fourth time in the game the Indians led. Chisenhall went to second on the throw to the plate, and when Brantley’s single sent Chisenhall to third with nobody out, Cleveland had a real chance to break this one open.

But Johnson bore down, getting A. Cabrera, Hafner and Carlos Santana in order without another run scoring, and Baltimore was still very much alive, trailing 6-5.

Chad Durbin came on for Talbot in the sixth and retired the first two hitters before issuing a walk, On came Rafael Perez to bail Durbin out of the inning, as the bullpen once more assumed control of the game.

Joe Smith worked around a two-out walk in the seventh, striking out two, and Vinnie Pestano came on in the eighth and duplicated Smith’s two K’s, working a one-two-three inning and keeping the Indians’ lead intact.

Chris Perez entered in the bottom of the ninth and immediately got into trouble by issuing a leadoff walk to Reimold. Felix Pie sacrificed Reimold to second, but Perez got pinch-hitter Blake Davis to foul out and closed the game and secured his 22nd save by getting J.J. Hardy to ground out.

Brantley had three hits to lead the Indians, while A. Cabrera, Sizemore, LaPorta and Chisenhall each contributed two hits to the Tribe’s 12-hit attack.

Carlos Carrasco will go for the Indians on Saturday night as the Tribe aims to clinch a series win with a fourth game to follow on Sunday afternoon.

Josh Tomlin Tries To Give The Indians Another Win Over Baltimore

After a good start to the unofficial second-half of the season last night in an 8-4 Cleveland win, the Indians will shoot for two straight in this series and five in a row overall over Baltimore when they take on the Orioles at 7:05 this evening at Camden Yards.

Josh Tomlin gets the nod for the Tribe. Tomlin (10-4, 3.81 ERA) was the winning pitcher in an 8-3 win over the Orioles on April 16 when he went six innings, allowing two runs on six hits, with no walks and four Ks.

Tomlin is 1-1 in his career vs. Baltimore in two appearances covering 11 innings with a 3.27 ERA, and has not lost since June 12, although the Tribe did lose in his last start, when the Toronto Blue Jays prevailed 5-4 last Saturday.

Baltimore will send Jake Arrieta to oppose Tomlin. Arrieta (9-6, 4.90 ERA) is 1-0 in his career against Cleveland in one appearance, although he did give up five runs in six innings vs. the Tribe.

Arrieta has lost his last two starts, giving up nine earned runs in only 9.1 frames in losses to the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox.

This series will continue on Saturday night when Carlos Carrasco will try to get back on track for the Indians.

Justin Verlander gets the start for the Detroit Tigers tonight against the Chicago White Sox, so it is probably safe to say that the Tribe will need to get this win over Baltimore to retain their virtual tie for first place in the AL Central.

Indians Vs. Orioles Final: Indians Strike Early, Cruise To 8-4 Win Over Baltimore

The Indians looked to be happy to be back on the diamond tonight, riding two first-inning home runs to a quick lead and adding a big sixth inning on their way to an 8-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles that once again put the Tribe in first place by a fraction of a percentage point over the Detroit Tigers.

Justin Masterson has been sharper, but he was strong enough tonight to pick up his third straight win, moving to 8-6 with six innings of eight-hit, four-run ball, and racking up eight strikeouts.

Masterson’s ERA rose to 2.80, but the important thing is that he held the Orioles to a reasonable amount of runs, as the Tribe broke a three-game losing streak.

After Michael Brantley was retired by Jeremy Guthrie (3-13, 4.45 ERA), Asdrubal Cabrera homered over the scoreboard in right to give the Indians a quick advantage. The blast was Cabrera’s 15th of the season. Then, after Travis Hafner walked, Carlos Santana hit no. 14 to right center, and Cleveland was up 3-0 before Baltimore came to bat.

After Brantley doubled leading off the third, A. Cabrera grounded out, with Brantley moving to third. Hafner was hit by a pitch, and Santana followed with his third RBI of the night on a double off the left-field wall that scored Brantley and moved Hafner to third.

Grady Sizemore was intentionally walked to load the bases, and the rally ended right there when Orlando Cabrera grounded into a double play.

The Orioles cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third when Nick Markakis drove in a pair with a two-out single.

In the sixth, Sizemore walked leading off and O. Cabrera moved him to third with a single to left, putting runners at the corners with nobody down.

Mark Hendrickson came on in relief of Guthrie, and Travis Buck scored Sizemore with a sac fly. Matt LaPorta followed with a single, moving Cabrera to second, and after Lonnie Chisenhall struck out, the Indians got some two-out magic when Cabrera stole third and scored on a Brantley base hit, making it 6-2 Indians and moving LaPorta to third.

That was it for Hendrickson, as Jason Berken came on for the Orioles. Berken was greeted by consecutive RBI singles from A. Cabrera and Hafner before escaping the inning with the Tribe now up 8-2.

Baltimore scored two in the bottom of the sixth on a Derrek Lee double and a Blake Davis single, but Masterson stopped the damage right there with a strikeout.

Joe Smith pitched a scoreless seventh, Vinnie Pestano did the same in the eighth, and Tony Sipp finished things up with by striking out the side in the ninth as the bullpen was once again excellent.

Cleveland totaled eleven hits tonight, with Brantley, Asdrubal Cabrera, Hafner and Santana all pitching in with two in the 1-4 spots.

Now that's the way you do it.

The Tribe will try to make it two in a row over the Birds on Friday night when Josh Tomlin (10-4) will take on Baltimore’s Jake Arrieta.

Indians Get Back In Action Thursday Night In Baltimore

After a three-day respite for all but two players, the Indians get back to the wars on Thursday night when they open a four-game trip to Baltimore to take on the Orioles at Camden Yards.

Justin Masterson will get the first start of the unofficial second half, looking for his third straight win after a six-game losing streak that was far from his fault. Masterson (7-6, 2.64 ERA) has defeated Cincinnati and the Yankees in his last two starts.

Masterson also worked a scoreless inning in relief against the Blue Jays on Saturday.

Justin held the Orioles to just one run in seven innings of work to get the win back on April 15 when the Indians prevailed in Cleveland 8-2. In that win -- part of a three-game sweep of the Orioles -- Masterson allowed four hits and one walk and fanned three, to run his career mark against the Birds to 3-3 in nine appearances. Masterson still has a high 5.20 career ERA vs. Baltimore, but he has become a dominant starter this season so that high number can be taken with a grain of salt.

Baltimore will send Jeremy Guthrie to oppose the Tribe. Guthrie has only a 3-12 record, but that does not tell the whole story, as Guthrie's ERA is only 4.18.

Guthrie faced the Indians and lost 8-3 on April 16, going five innings and surrendering ten hits and six runs, and is 2-1 in five appearances against The Good Guys in his time in the Majors, with a 5.91 ERA in 21.1 innings of work.

Baltimore has lost seven games in a row and is basically done for the 2011 campaign as far as contention goes. The Orioles are last in the American League East at 36-52 and are 18 games behind the Red Sox, as well as seven games behind fourth-place Toronto.

The Orioles, however, are 22-22 at home, so don't expect a four-game cakewalk here.

Baltimore is tied for 10th in the Majors in hitting at .258, and is led offensively by Nick Markakis at .292. Mark Reynolds has a low .227 average but leads the O's with 20 homers, while Reynolds and Adam Jones are tied with 49 RBI apiece.

The Indians, losers of their last three and in second place, a half game behind Detroit in the AL Central, are hitting .250 as a team, good for a tie for 19th in the Majors. Travis Hafner leads in batting average at .325, while Asdrubal Cabrera leads in both homers and RBI with 14 and 51, respectively.

The Tribe expects to have Lonnie Chisenhall back for this series, and has added Ezequiel Carrera to the squad to fill the roster-spot vacated by Mitch Talbot, who has been placed on the 15-day DL with lower back pain.

The first three games of this series are all at 7:05 before it wraps up at 1:35 on Sunday. Then it will be on to Minnesota for another four-game set, including a doubleheader on Monday, one game of which will be a make-up game for a rain out during the Indians' first visit to face the Twins.