CLEVELAND - Orioles manager Buck Showalter decided it was time for a change, and it helped Baltimore break a four-game losing streak.
After watching his team score nine runs in its longest skid of the season, Showalter’s lineup tweak paid off in a 6-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Friday night.
Manny Machado, moved from second to third in the batting order, went 4 for 5 with an RBI. Adam Jones, who usually bats third, had three hits and scored a run from the leadoff spot.
The changes woke up the Orioles, who struck out 52 times against Houston, a major league record for a three-game series.
“We had four options and this one worked the best,” Showalter said. “Things like that you can only do if you trust good players.”
Asked if he would stick with the same lineup Saturday, Showalter joked, “I haven’t gotten that far. Can I soak this one in for a little bit?”
Chris Davis’ RBI double broke a seventh-inning tie. Mark Trumbo followed with a two-run homer, his AL-leading 15th of the season.
Dylan Bundy (1-1) pitched 1 1/3 innings for his first major league win. Zach Britton pitched a perfect ninth for 13th save.
Cleveland scored in the second, fourth and fifth to tie the game, but Machado doubled off Zach McAllister (2-2). Davis’ double to right-center gave Baltimore the lead before Trumbo’s towering drive landed in the right field seats.
Machado had an RBI single in Baltimore’s three-run first and singled again in the second. He doubled in the fifth and his double to lead off the seventh started the winning rally.
Jones singled to start the game and scored on Machado’s single. Jonathan Schoop added a two-run single.
Francisco Lindor drove in two runs for Cleveland, including a leadoff homer in the eighth off Darren O’Day. The Indians loaded the bases with one out, but O’Day got Chris Gimenez to hit into a double play.
Bundy relieved starter Mike Wright after Lindor’s sacrifice fly tied the game in the fifth and retired Napoli on a popup with two on to end the inning. The right-hander pitched a scoreless sixth.
Bundy, the fourth overall pick in the 2011 amateur draft, made his major league debut in 2012, but had elbow surgery the following season. He made the team in spring training and has pitched in 14 games this season.
“It’s taken four years, I guess, to get to that point, but it’s still exciting,” Bundy said. “I didn’t even know I got the win until some of my teammates told me in the clubhouse.”
Wright allowed three runs in 4 2/3 innings. Trevor Bauer gave up three runs in five innings.
Mike Napoli hit a solo homer in the fourth, but the Indians didn’t take advantage of their late scoring chances.
“I liked the comeback, but I would have liked it more if we had kept it going,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: SS J.J. Hardy (left foot fracture) could shift his rehabilitation from Sarasota, Florida to Baltimore next week. He has been on the 15-day disabled list since May 3 and is no longer wearing a walking boot.
Indians: RHP Carlos Carrasco (strained left hamstring) is scheduled to threw four innings and approximately 60 pitches on a rehab start at Double-A Akron on Saturday. He's also been doing fielding drills to test his leg. Carrasco's been on the 15-day disabled list since April 25.
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez has allowed 12 earned runs and 13 hits over 10 innings in losing his last two starts. He hasn't won since May 7.
Indians: RHP Danny Salazar is coming off his shortest outing of the season Sunday when he lasted 4 1/3 innings against Boston.
