Orioles use 8th-inning run to beat Indians, 4-3

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BALTIMORE (AP) — Chris Davis singled in the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, J.J. Hardy homered and had two RBIs and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Cleveland Indians 4-3 Friday night.

Jimmy Paredes had three hits and scored twice for the Orioles, who have won five of six to move a season-high five games over .500 (39-34).

Brandon Moss, Ryan Raburn and Carlos Santana hit solo homers for Cleveland, which wasted a 10-strikeout performance by Corey Kluber.

American League batting leader Jason Kipnis extended his career-best hitting streak to 20 games with an infield single in the Indians’ fifth. It was his AL-leading 100th hit of the season.

After Santana homered off Darren O’Day (5-0) in the eighth to tie it 3-3, the Orioles needed only two pitches to regain the lead in the bottom half. Paredes greeted Marc Rzepczynski (1-3) with a double and Davis followed with a single to right.

Zach Britton got three outs for his 22nd save.

Kluber allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings, but it was another in a series of outings in which he received poor offensive support. Santana’s homer enabled the 2014 AL Cy Young Award winner to avoid losing a fifth straight start and absorbing his 10th defeat of the season.

Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings after being recalled before the game from a brief stint in the minor leagues. The left-hander departed with a 3-2 lead, but the bullpen couldn’t make it stand up.

Baltimore trailed 2-1 before rallying against Kluber in the sixth. Paredes singled, took third on a double by Chris Parmelee and scored without a throw on a sacrifice fly by Hardy. Ryan Flaherty followed with a bloop single to score Parmelee.

Earlier, all the scoring came via the long ball.

After Moss put the Indians ahead with a homer in the second, Hardy responded with a bases-empty drive in the bottom half. It was Hardy’s third home run of the season, the first since May 15.

Kluber had seven strikeouts through three innings. Raburn led off the fourth by hitting a 2-2 pitch into the left-field seats.

TRAINERS ROOM

Indians: DH/OF Nick Swisher (left knee inflammation) participated in what manager Terry Francona termed “position specific” speed and agility drills in the outfield Friday. No timetable has been set for Swisher’s return from a DL stint that began retroactively on June 14.

Orioles: CF Adam Jones tested his sore right shoulder by throwing Friday. If he’s sore on Saturday, he’s a candidate for the DL, manager Buck Showalter said. Jones has missed eight of the last 10 games and five in a row.

ON DECK

Indians: RHP Cody Anderson makes his second major league appearance tonight in the middle game of the series. In his debut, Anderson blanked Tampa Bay over 7 2/3 innings but was not involved in the decision.

Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman seeks to put a dent in his unsightly 6.22 ERA. He beat Cleveland on June 5.

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