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Tribe top Orioles

Jul 15, 2011 - 4:42 AM Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Carlos Santana belted a two-run home run and drove in three as the Cleveland Indians took an 8-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of a four-game set.

Asdrubal Cabrera added a solo home run and finished the game 2-for-5 with two RBI while Michael Brantley had two hits, two runs scored and an RBI for the Indians, who dropped their final three games before the All-Star break. They are currently in a virtual tie with Detroit atop the AL Central Division.

"The way things are going this is probably going to go all the way down to the end because we play amongst ourselves for the last month and a half," Indians manager Manny Acta said.

Justin Masterson (8-6) improved to 3-0 in July as he gave up four runs on eight hits with a walk and eight strikeouts over six innings.

Nick Markakis hit a two-run single and Craig Tatum was 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Orioles, who have lost eight straight games. Jeremy Guthrie (3-13) dropped his fourth straight start as he gave up six runs on five hits and four walks over five-plus innings of work.

Since winning two of three against the Reds, Baltimore has just one win over its past 14 games.

"Things aren't going right for any of us right now," said Guthrie. "It's been a tough stretch for us lately and we just have to get things back to the way they should be."

Before the game, Major League Baseball handed out discipline to three Baltimore players and manager Buck Showalter stemming from several incidents during a series with the Boston Red Sox this past weekend.

Pitcher Kevin Gregg received a four-game suspension while pitcher Mike Gonzalez received a three-game suspension. Both players are appealing their suspensions so they well be held in abeyance until the review process is complete.

Showalter was handed a one-game suspension and served it Thursday as bench coach John Russell was Baltimore's skipper for the game.

Undisclosed fines were also included in the suspensions while pitcher Jim Johnson was also issued a fine.

The Indians began the second half of the season with a three-run first inning as Cabrera hit a one-out, solo home run and, after Travis Hafner walked, Santana knocked one over the right field wall for a 3-0 lead.

A double from Santana in the third inning scored another run, but Baltimore got back into the game in the bottom of the frame. With one out, Blake Davis walked and Tatum followed with a single. After J.J. Hardy struck out, both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch and Markakis brought them home with a bloop single to shallow left to make it a 4-2 game.

Cleveland, though, added four more in the sixth. Guthrie began the frame on the mound, but departed after putting the first two batters on base and Mark Hendrickson took over.

Travis Buck was the first batter Hendrickson faced and he hit a sacrifice fly to right that scored Grady Sizemore. Matt LaPorta then singled and, after Lonnie Chisenhall looked at strike three, Brantley brought home one with a single.

That brought out Jason Berken to the mound and he gave up consecutive RBI singles to Cabrera and Hafner to make it an 8-2 contest.

The Orioles got a couple back in the bottom of the sixth. Matt Wieters led off with a double and Derrek Lee followed with a double. Three batters later, Davis singled home Lee.

That was as close as it got, though, as Baltimore only managed one more base runner the rest of the game.

Game Notes

The Indians swept a three-game set against the Orioles at home in April...Masterson is now 4-3 in 10 games against the Orioles...Guthrie fell to 2-2 in six games against the Indians...Jake Arrieta pitches for Baltimore on Friday and will be opposed by Josh Tomlin for Cleveland.