Tribe Blows Lead, Rallies To Win 13-8

The Indians hadn't played the Baltimore Orioles in 461 days. Despite the home team rallying for a 13-8 victory, it wasn't exactly worth the wait. Cleveland bolted to a 5-0 lead, fell behind 8-7, then pulled away in the seventh and eighth innings. It was a bold display of inconsistent play from the Orioles, last-place residents of the AL East and Tribe, still lagging last in the AL Central.

Asdrubal Cabrera, Ryan Garko, Ben Francisco, Sal Fasano and Andy Gonzalez all drove in two runs for the Indians, who won their fourth in a row.

It wasn't easy, though it appeared as if Fausto Carmona was on the way to an easy win. Instead, Edward Mujica earned his first career triumph -- doing it in a most bizarre fashion.

"It was a weird evening out there," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "You felt it early, there were some strange plays and it turned into back-and-forth."

Mujica had not pitched since torching a Tribe win by allowing three runs without getting an out last Wednesday in the ninth inning at Tampa Bay. This time, he came on with the bases loaded, one out and Cleveland leading, 7-3.

Four pitches later, the Orioles led, 8-7. Mujica gave up a three-run triple to Nick Markakis, who scored on a sacrifice fly by Melvin Mora.

Mujica struck out Aubrey Huff, who earlier had extended his hitting streak to 19 games by hitting his 24th homer.

Then it was time for the Baltimore bullpen to blow it.

Shin-Soo Choo doubled off Rocky Cherry and went to third on a single by Garko. Pinch-hitter Kelly Shoppach grounded to third and Choo tried to score, but was caught in a rundown -- which Baltimore catcher Ramon Hernandez botched. Hernandez ran Choo back towards third, but never threw the ball. He steamrolled into Choo at the bag, knocking the baserunner off the bag, but the umpire appropriately ruled interference and the bases were loaded.

Pinch-hitter Jamey Carroll lifted a sacrifice fly that scored Choo to tie the score at 8. After Jamie Walker replaced Cherry, Cabrera hit a grounder that bounced off the glove of third baseman Melvin Mora for an RBI double and 9-8 lead. A groundout by Grady Sizemore scored another run.

Francisco hit his 12th homer, a solo shot, and Andy Gonzalez added a two-run homer, his first in more than a year, in the Indians' eighth.

Cleveland struck quickly against Baltimore starter Dennis Sarfate, a converted reliever who worked out of the stretch rather than a windup. Sizemore walked to open the Indians' first inning and scored on a triple down the right-field line by David Dellucci. Francisco and Fasano had RBI singles and Garko a sac fly in the four-run inning. The Tribe's rally got a boost when Baltimore shortstop Alex Cintron failed to touch second base on a potential double play, and his throw to first didn't get an out, either.

Cabrera led off the second with his third homer to make it 5-0.

The Tribe got plenty of help in scoring two more runs in the fifth. Sarfate walked the first two batters and was replaced by Alberto Castillo, who promptly hit Choo with his first pitch to load the bases.

Garko got an RBI single and Castillo hit Fasano in the foot with a pitch to force home another run.

The teams had not met since May 7, 2007, because of the same odd scheduling that has Cleveland playing Boston at home in early April this season and not traveling to Fenway Park until the last week of September.

"It's because of the unbalanced schedule and I don't like it," Wedge said. "I've said that before, but all teams have something like this and you can't do anything about it as long as they mix interleague games in there."

Since Cleveland had last played the Orioles, formerly one of their long-time rivals, the Indians had played 12 interleague games against the Cincinnati Reds.