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Orioles capitalize on crazy inning to snap losing skid

Apr 29, 2007 - 5:06 AM CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Like most teams in the middle of a losing streak, the Baltimore Orioles needed a little luck to snap it. Depending on what Major League Baseball has to say, they may still not have ended their skid.

The Orioles benefited from a highly controversial ruling in the sixth inning and Corey Patterson hit a go-ahead double in the eighth as the Orioles snapped a five-game losing streak with a wild, 7-4, victory over the Cleveland Indians.

But the most excitement of the night occurred in the third inning. With one out and runners on the corners in a 2-2 tie, Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore made a great diving catch on a line drive off the bat of Ramon Hernandez.

As Sizemore threw the ball back to the infield to double-up Miguel Tejada at first and register an inning-ending double play, Nick Markakis tagged up from third and scored well before the final out was recorded. However, the run was waved off by home plate umpire Marvin Hudson.

"We were sitting in the dugout and (bench coach Tom) Trebelhorn says, 'I think that run should count,'" Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo said. "There was some confusion on our part at first but I went out and asked the umps about it and they said they would check into it."

Trebelhorn came out to talk to crew chief Ed Montague after the third inning.

"I went out to talk to Ed and told him that was our run," Trebelhorn said. "I have seen runs put on the board after the game."

The real debate started when Montague and Hudson met with Indians manager Eric Wedge in the sixth. Montague spent most of the frame in the Indians' dugout on the phone with the official scorer before it was announced that the run would count - three innings after the play occurred - giving the Orioles a 3-2 lead.

"I've never seen that before," Tejada said. "I thought I had messed up because I forgot how many outs there were. I felt better when we were given the run. It was nice to be given the run after they had tied it up."

While the umpires were checking the rulebook, the Orioles were consulting the same rulebook.

"It kind of went on after Tom Trebelhorn came out, then Sam (Perlozzo) came out," Montague said. "I told him (Perlozzo), 'We are going to concur on that rule and if it is right, we are going to give you the run.' I told him, 'I think you have a valid point, but I wanted to be 100 percent sure.'"

"I said, 'Get the rulebook and let's make sure we get this right,'" Perlozzo said.

As a result, the Indians will file a written protest to the league.

"Obviously, there's going to be a tremendous follow-up on this," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "When the next pitch is thrown, that's it. I know the umps have a job to do, but there is a process and there are rules. I've never seen runs put on the board three or four innings later."

"Eric (Wedge) was great on it," Montague said. "I don't blame him for protesting. All in all, it was our screw-up. I can't take away a run on our screw-up."

Perlozzo was confused to why Wedge protested the game.

"I'm not sure why he is protesting," Perlozzo said. "The rule is the run counts. They (the umpires) got it right." The protest will be heard by Major League Baseball and they will make a decision on if the protest will be upheld and what subsequent action will be taken.

Cleveland got two back in the sixth on a two-run homer by Jhonny Peralta off Baltimore starter Erik Bedard, but the Orioles took back the lead in the eighth.

Tejada and Jay Payton singled off Francisco Cabrera (1-1) and with two outs, Patterson lined an 0-2 pitch to right field against Aaron Fultz, plating both runners for a 5-4 edge. Hernandez doubled in two runs in the ninth to cap the scoring.

"I didn't try to do to much up there," Patterson said. "Anytime you can drive in a run, it helps the team, no matter when it is."

Hernandez had four RBI for the Orioles, who were unable to get the decision for their Bedard, who struck out 11 in six innings. He allowed four runs and five hits.

"I gave up four runs, who cares about the strikeouts," Bedard said.

Jamie Walker (1-0) struck out the only batter he faced in the bottom of the seventh to pick up the win.

Danys Baez pitched a perfect eighth before closer Chris Ray matched him with a flawless ninth to notch his seventh save in nine chances.