Guardians 5 - 6 Orioles
Final
  for this game

Indians go at it again with Orioles

Jul 16, 2011 - 3:24 PM

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(Sports Network) - The Cleveland Indians will try to hold on to their slim lead in the AL Central when they take on the Baltimore Orioles in the third installment of a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

Some times the All-Star break gives players a chance to rejuvenate and get ready for the final stretch of the season. Hopefully that is the case for Carlos Carrasco, who claimed eight wins in the first half of the year, but went into the break on a down note.

Over his last two starts the young hurler surrendered 11 runs on 17 hits over just seven innings of work. To make matters worse both losses came at home.

However, the Indians are on the road this evening and not surprisingly Carrasco has been better playing as the visitor. In nine starts on the road this year the right-hander is 5-1 with an impressive 2.59 earned run average.

The 24-year-old has never squared off against Baltimore.

The Orioles will counter with Alfredo Simon. Simon has only made one previous start this season, and the rest of his appearances have come out of the bullpen.

Overall, the 30-year-old is just 1-2 on the season and holds a weak 4.85 earned run average.

Simon has never started against the Tribe, but he has faced Cleveland once. However, it was an appearance the right-hander would like to forget. In what turned out to be a loss and a blown save, the crafty righty allowed four runs on three hits and one walk.

On Friday, Lonnie Chisenhall drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth and the Indians held on to take a 6-5 win over the Orioles.

Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore each hit two-run home runs and Michael Brantley went 3-for-5 with a run scored for the Indians, who have taken the first two games of this set and are a game ahead of Detroit in the Central.

Josh Tomlin (11-4) won his fourth straight decision despite a sub-par outing as he gave up five runs on six hits with a walk over five innings.

Adam Jones went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and three RBI while Matt Wieters and Nolan Reimold each added solo shots for the Orioles, who have lost nine straight and 14 of 15.

Jake Arrieta was tagged for five runs on eight hits over five innings. Jim Johnson (5-3) took the loss as he gave up a run over two innings of work.

Cleveland swept a three-game home series versus Baltimore from April 15-17 and has won six straight and 15 of the previous 21 meetings between the teams.






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