Indians win 5th in a Row : 7-5 over the Orioles.

The Indians matched their longest win streak of the season on Tuesday, winning their fifth game in a row by beating the Baltimore Orioles 7-5.  Jensen Lewis picked up his second save of the season.  Jeremy Sowers left with a 5-3 lead and the bullpen blew it for him, letting the Orioles tie it up before an Asdrubal Cabera RBI single in the bottom of the eighth put the Indians ahead for good.

It was the second time in two nights the Indians squandered an early lead, but pulled it out late with some clutch hitting.  The Indians move a half a game up on K.C., moving out of the AL Central cellar.

Both Jeremy Sowers and Garrett Olson opened the game looking like they wouldn’t last very long, but both starters settled down : Olson goung six and Sowers six and a third.

Baltimore struck first in the top of the first, scoring two runs on two hits and a walk.  Brian Roberts started the game with the walk.  Nick Markakis continued his hit parade from last night, teeing off on Sowers for a double and moving Roberts to third.  Melvin Mora singled home Roberts and moved Markakis to third.  A sacrifice fly off the bat of Aubrey Huff to center fielder Grady Sizemore rounded out the Orioles first inning scoring.

The Indians picked Sowers right up, putting up a four spot in the bottom half of the inning.  Jamey Carroll started the Indians off with a single after Grady Sizemore grounded out to lead off the inning.  Carroll went to second on a wild pitch.  After a Ben Francisco strikeout, Peralta singled to left, and Carroll tested the arm of Louis Montanez by going for home.  Montanez made it close, but Carrroll made a great slide, avoiding the tag and dragging his back foot across the plate scoring the first run of the inning.   If Carroll is out, the Indians don’t score at all this inning.  Still alive, Kelly Shoppach walked, and Garko delivered a two-out RBI single scoring Peralta.  Montanez got tagged for an error, and Shoppach ended up on third and Garko on second.  Franklin Gutierrez pulled of the infield single, scoring Shoppach.  Andy Marte singled, scoring Garko, giving the Indians a 4-2 lead.  Cabrera flied out to end the inning.

The Indians extended their advantage to 5-2 in the fourth.  Cabrera opened the frame with a double, moved to third on a Carroll grounder that Mora bobbled and threw wide right into the stands behind first base, scoring Cabrera and putting Carroll on second.  The Indians couldn’t add to the lead.  Francisco flied out and Peralta grounded out, leaving Carroll stranded at second.

Baltimore trimmed the lead to 5-3 in the fifth.  On back-to-back singles by Payton and Castro, with Payton standing on third.  Markakis hit a long fly-out to right, scoring Payton.

In the top of the seventh, Sowers gave up a single to Montanez, and got Payton to fly-out, before yielding to Masa Kobayashi.  Kobayashi gave up a double to Scott, and a single to Roberts, scoring Montanez. 

The Indians brought in Rafael Perez to hold the lead, but he gave up a single to Markakis, scoring Scott and allowing Baltimore a 5-5 tie.

Perez got out of the inning by getting a double play gound-out by Melvin Mora.

Perez came back out after an ineffective seventh by the Indians offense, striking out two, allowing a hit, but holding the tie through eight.

The Indians offense came through in the bottom of the eighth.  Shin-Soo Choo entered as a pinch hitter and was hit by a pitch.   Marte laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt up the first base side, moving Choo to second.  Asdrubal Cabrera delivered the go ahead RBI single, scoring Choo.  Sizemore was intentionally walked, Carroll struck out, but Francisco pulled off an insurance run RBI single.

Jensen Lewis came on in the ninth in a save situation, and save the game he did, getting a fly-out and a pair of strike-outs to end the game.

Lewis earned his second save of the season.  Perez ended up with the win.  Jim Johnson earned the loss.

The Indians insured themselves of at least a split in the four game series with Baltimore by winning the first two, and they keep alive the opportunity for two series sweeps in a row in the process. 

The two teams go again Wednesday.at 7:05 with the Indians going for their longest win streak of the season.  Jeremy Guthrie(9-8, 3.26 ERA) will battle Anthony Reyes (2-1, 3.86 ERA). 

Reyes is coming off his first start of the season, and it was a good one.  Guthrie is a former Indians prospect that was placed on waivers and picked up by Baltimore.

At the time this article posted, the White Sox were winners and the Twins were losing to the New York Yankees by three in the top of the ninth so it looks like the White Sox will move back into first place in the AL Central by a game.