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Orioles edge Indians

Jun 30, 2012 - 4:49 AM Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Matt Wieters and Xavier Avery hit key home runs in the Orioles' 9-8 victory over the Indians in the second test of a four-game series.

Wieters hit a three-run bomb and Avery smacked a solo shot, his first career home run and one that proved to be the difference, for the O's, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

"That's real exciting," said Avery about his home run. "It really wouldn't have meant a lot if we didn't get a win with it, but we got a win with it so it means the whole world."

J.J. Hardy, Wilson Betemit and Chris Davis also knocked in runs in the win.

Both starting pitchers struggled in the game and pitched to no-decisions. Derek Lowe allowed seven runs -- four earned -- on six hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings. Although it was Joe Smith (5-2) who took the loss after he gave up the deciding run in the bottom of the seventh.

Jake Arrieta surrendered five runs, eight hits and two walks in 3 2/3. The Baltimore offense bailed him out, though, and Matt Lindstrom (1-0) picked up the win for retiring Jason Kipnis and ending a Cleveland threat in the top of the seventh.

Michael Brantley gave the Indians a first-inning lead, but Baltimore responded with three in the bottom half of the frame.

The Indians, who had previously gone six games without an error, committed two in the first inning to help spring Baltimore's rally. After Hardy drove in a run and reached base on Asdrubal Cabrera's miscue, Adam Jones reached base on an infield single. Betemit then doubled off the right-field fence to drive in a second run. Davis followed with a groundout that plated a third.

Cabrera hit his sixth home run of June and 11th of the season to close the gap to 3-2 in the third.

The Tribe went ahead with a three-run fourth inning. After Casey Kotchman, Lonnie Chisenhall and Lou Marson reached base, Arrieta walked Choo to force in a run. After Cabrera was retired for the second out of the inning, Kipnis ripped a base hit to right field, scoring two and giving Cleveland a 5-3 lead.

After Baltimore picked up a run in the fifth, it went ahead on Wieters' three- run shot down the right-field line, which gave the Orioles a 7-5 lead in the sixth inning.

"He just cruised the whole night," said Indians manager Manny Acta of Lowe. "He pitched well, just got hurt there by that pitch on Wieters."

Kotchman and Shelley Duncan doubled to start the seventh inning and pull the Indians within one run. Jack Hannahan blooped a single to left to put runners on the corners before Marson ground into a double play, which scored the tying run.

The Orioles retaliated with a two-out rally, started by a Davis base hit. After Wieters worked a walk, Flaherty singled through the right side to drive in Davis and put the O's up for good.

Avery gave the O's some insurance with an eighth-inning opposite-field shot to left field, which Baltimore needed.

Pedro Strop kept the Indians off the board in the eighth, but Jim Johnson allowed a two-out run on a Choo single in the ninth. However, he got Cabrera to pop out to finish the game and pick up his 23rd save.

Game Notes

Chisenhall left the game in the fifth inning after being hit in the arm by a pitch...The Indians have lost five of their last six...The Indians have scored 22 runs in their last four games...Lowe is 1-5 in his last eight starts with a 7.33 earned run average (35 earned runs in 43 innings)...Betemit has hit safely in his last nine games, including five straight multi-hit games, hitting .517 (15-29) in that span...Johnson had not allowed a run in 9 1/3 innings...Over its last four games, Baltimore has allowed 33 runs and 58 hits...Baltimore is 14-6 in one-run games...The O's are 30-0 when leading after seven innings...Baltimore is 10-4 against teams from the American League Central.