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Orioles, Indians finish series in Cleveland

Jun 7, 2015 - 2:16 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Cleveland Indians try to get back to .500 for the first time since the opening week of the season as they finish up a three-game set against the Baltimore Orioles Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field.

Cleveland, which last sat even on the schedule after just four games in April, has won two of the last three and five of seven thanks to a 2-1 victory on Saturday. The deciding factor came in the bottom of the sixth inning when Carlos Santana doubled to right to score Jason Kipnis with two out, snapping a 1-1 tie.

Kipnis reached base four times thanks to a single and three walks for a Cleveland club that is fourth in the American League Central standings, five games out of contention. Yan Gomes and Nick Swisher both had a pair of hits, the latter knocking in a run as well as the Tribe won for the 13th time in the last 18 outings.

Indians starter Danny Salazar was rewarded with the win, his sixth, as he permitted just the one run on six hits, striking out 10 over seven innings. Cody Allen locked it down in the ninth to secure his 13th save.

Unfortunately for Baltimore, starter Ubaldo Jimenez wasn't nearly as precise as Salazar, who walked only one batter. Jimenez, who failed to factor into the decision, allowed six hits and just as many bases-on-balls, fanning five in five innings. Instead, it was Brad Brach who was hit with the loss, even as he struck out four in 2 1/3 innings.

"He's not an excuse maker, but he was just having trouble gripping the balls," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said of Jimenez. "Of course, Salazar didn't have any trouble, did he? It's just one of those days where it's windy, cool, slick. That's part of it."

Manny Machado accounted for the only run for Baltimore, a team which is last in the AL East, as he stroked his ninth home run of the season in the third inning.

"I was just being aggressive. I know he (Salazar) has an overpowering fastball and he was going to try and get ahead in counts quick," Machado said. "I was just trying to go out there and make some good contact, and the ball left the yard."

Making his return to the rotation for the Orioles is right-hander Bud Norris, out of action at the major league level for several weeks due to a bout of bronchitis. Norris made a rehab start on Wednesday and threw four shutout innings for Triple-A Norfolk, which was is why Baltimore is prepared to insert him into the rotation and take out Mike Wright.

Norris has been far from reliable thus far, sporting a 1-4 record and a lopsided 9.88 ERA. He's walked (13) almost as many batters as he has struck out (18) in his six previous outings.

His last trip to the mound for the O's came against the New York Yankees on May 10 when he made it through only 3 1/3 innings before hitting the showers. Norris was tagged for four runs on six hits and three walks.

For his career, the California native has a 2-0 mark with a 3.46 ERA in two games versus Cleveland.

While Norris is trying to regain his footing, Carlos Carrasco is locked in for the Indians as he opposes Baltimore hitters.

The right-hander has won three straight outings and five of the last seven, the latest victory coming against Kansas City on the road Tuesday. In that contest Carrasco made it through seven innings, allowing just a single run on five hits and a couple of walks, striking out eight for the second game in a row.

Carrasco, who broke in with Cleveland in 2009, has a career mark of 1-1 with a mere 1.80 ERA in three all-time appearances versus the O's.