Guardians 2 - 4 Orioles
Final
  for this game

Orioles top Indians to even series

May 25, 2014 - 11:27 PM Baltimore, MD (SportsNetwork.com) - Manny Machado and Nelson Cruz each swatted solo home runs in the fifth inning to provide the winning margin in the Baltimore Orioles' 4-2 decision over the Cleveland Indians.

Cruz added a double and another run scored in addition to his major league- leading 16th homer of the season, while Steve Pearce went 3-for-4 with an RBI single to help the Orioles earn a split of the four-game set.

Miguel Gonzalez (3-3) overcame a shaky opening inning to win his second straight start, with the right-hander yielding just two runs and four hits through six frames.

"It's going to be a happy flight [to Milwaukee]," said Gonzalez. "We did a pretty good job offensively and defensively."

The Indians managed just five hits in all. Michael Bourn had two of them along with a run scored in the loss, only the Tribe's second in seven games.

Trevor Bauer (1-2) racked up eight strikeouts in just 4 1/3 innings for Cleveland, but surrendered all four Baltimore runs.

Machado, back from a mild groin injury that kept him out of the previous two games, proved his health by taking a Bauer fastball the other way for a wall- clearing blast that snapped a 2-2 deadlock in the bottom of the fifth.

Bauer bounced back to fan Adam Jones, but Cruz was able to work the count full and crush a slider into the Baltimore bullpen for a two-run cushion that Gonzalez and three Orioles relievers made stand.

"I felt good all day, I just couldn't throw the fastball where I wanted to," said Bauer. "I was trying to go in with it and it was up and away -- that's what happens."

The Indians had two on, but were unable to score in the top of the fifth, then mustered only a pair of walks and a single the rest of the way. Zach Britton polished off the triumph with a 1-2-3 ninth that nailed down his second career save.

Gonzalez's day got off to a rough beginning, as Bourn and Michael Brantley singled around a walk to Carlos Santana before back-to-back sacrifice flies from Lonnie Chisenhall and Nick Swisher staked Cleveland to a 2-0 advantage just five batters into the contest.

He settled down nicely thereafter, holding the Indians hitless over the next three innings as Baltimore climbed back with single runs in the second and third.

Pearce had a hand in both tallies. He singled, stole second and scored the Orioles' first run on Jonathan Schoop's bloop base hit to right, while his single that followed Cruz's double to center evened the contest at 2-2.

Game Notes

Brantley extended his hitting streak to 11 games, while Bourn is batting .400 (16-for-40) over a nine-game tear ... Swisher returned to Cleveland's lineup after sitting out the past two games with a sore knee, but teammate Asdrubal Cabrera (knee) was held out for a third straight day ... Gonzalez improved to 4-1 over his last seven home starts dating back to last season ... The Orioles entered the matchup an MLB-worst 5-12 in day games.






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