Perez rejoins Indians after stint on disabled list

Cleveland trades McDonald to Phillies

6/27/2013
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Indians pitcher Corey Kluber delivers against Baltimore in the first inning. Kluber gave up 11 hits and six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Indians pitcher Corey Kluber delivers against Baltimore in the first inning. Kluber gave up 11 hits and six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.

BALTIMORE — Chris Davis drove in the tiebreaking run on a fielder’s choice grounder in a wild five-run fifth inning, and the Baltimore Orioles rallied for a 7-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday night.

The Orioles used six hits and two errors to erase a 3-2 deficit in the fifth, salvaging a split in the four-game series. The inning also included the ejection of Manny Machado and saw Adam Jones called out on the go-ahead grounder for sliding wide of second base to break up a potential double play that wound up plating the go-ahead run.

Nick Markakis, Matt Wieters and J.J. Hardy also had RBIs during the comeback.

Miguel Gonzalez (6-3) won for the fourth time in five decisions. He allowed three runs on nine hits over 6 2-3 innings, walking none and matching a career high with nine strikeouts.

Lonnie Chisenhall and Mike Aviles homered for the Indians. Chisenhall had three hits.

Ryan Flaherty drove in two runs for Baltimore.

Chisenhall homered to right with two outs in the second, a 430-foot shot that landed on Eutaw Street and gave the Indians a 1-0 lead.

Baltimore went ahead 2-1 on Flaherty’s two-run single in the bottom of the inning. Davis drew a leadoff walk, Wieters singled and Hardy moved the runners up with a sacrifice bunt before Flaherty’s two-out single up the middle.

The Indians tied it at 2 on Chisenhall’s double in the fourth. Michael Brantley doubled to lead off the inning and Chisenhall sent a ball off the right-field wall to plate him.

Aviles led off the fifth with a line-drive homer to left, his fifth homer of the season.

Cleveland’s lead was short-lived. The Orioles went ahead 7-3 with the five-run fifth, but lost Machado, who was ejected by home plate umpire Will Little for arguing a third-strike call, ending a streak of 1,206 innings played, the longest active streak in the majors.

Singles by Flaherty and Nate McLouth put runners at the corners for Machado, who struck out swinging and was tossed when he argued that he foul-tipped the ball. Markakis followed with an RBI single to center for a 3-3 tie and Jones’ broken-bat single to right loaded the bases.

Davis then beat shortstop Aviles’ relay to first after Jones was called out for abandoning the baseline, allowing McLouth to score for a 4-3 lead. Aviles was charged with an error for coming off the bag early on a throw from second baseman Jason Kipnis that would have forced Jones.

Wieters then cracked a run-scoring double into the right-field corner, with Davis scoring and Wieters reaching third when Drew Stubbs bobbled the ball. Hardy’s infield single, a tapper to the left of the mound, made it 7-3 and chased Corey Kluber.

Kluber (6-5) yielded seven runs — six earned — in 4 2/3 innings, ending a steak of three straight wins. He allowed 11 hits, walked one and struck out four.

NOTES: The game was delayed by rain for 78 minutes in the bottom of the seventh inning. ... With his first-inning single, Kipnis has reached base in 29 consecutive games. ... The Orioles re-signed RHP Freddy Garcia to a minor league deal and he will report to Triple-A Norfolk. Garcia was optioned to Norfolk on Monday, and because he is a veteran had the option of declining the assignment and becoming a free agent. ... Before the game, the Indians activated RHP Chris Perez (right shoulder soreness) from the 15-day disabled list and optioned LHP T.J. House to Triple-A Columbus. They also traded IF John McDonald, who was designated for assignment Wednesday, to the Phillies for cash or a player to be named. ... Cleveland manager Terry Francona said RHP Trevor Bauer will start the first game of Friday’s doubleheader and RHP Carlos Carrasco would start the nightcap. Bauer will be recalled from Triple-A and Carrasco will be added as the team’s 26th man. ... Brian Roberts (right hamstring) will return from the DL this weekend and become the Orioles’ starting second baseman, manager Buck Showalter said. ... RHP Dylan Bundy, the Orioles’ prized pitching prospect, underwent Tommy John ligament replacement surgery Thursday. The procedure was performed by Dr. James Andrews in Gulf Breeze, Fla.