Indians 2, Orioles 1 (11)

[August 16, 2014]  Indians 2, Orioles 1 (11): Mike Aviles launched a home run leading off the bottom of the 11th inning as host Cleveland outlasted Baltimore in the opener of their three-game series.

After Scott Atchison (6-0) tossed two perfect innings of relief, Aviles pulled a 1-2 offering from Brian Matusz (2-3) down the left-field line to lift the Indians to their fourth win in five games. Zach Walters also homered and Corey Kluber allowed one run while striking out 10 in 7 2/3 innings for Cleveland, which remained six games behind first-place Kansas City in the American League Central and five out in the race for the second wild-card spot.

J.J. Hardy returned from a four-game absence to deliver a game-tying RBI single in the eighth inning for the first-place Orioles, whose lead over Toronto in the AL East stood pat at 7 1/2 games. Wei-Yin Chen nearly matched Kluber by allowing a run and striking out six over seven frames.

Walters led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo shot that bounced off the top of the left-center field wall and held up under review for a 1-0 lead. Kluber left after giving up a two-out single in the eighth and reliever Bryan Shaw lost the lead by yielding consecutive hits by Delmon Young and Hardy.

Cody Allen relieved Shaw to stop the bleeding in the eighth and breezed through the ninth before Atchison took over. Aviles had not homered since May 31 before delivering the game-winner.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Indians activated CF Michael Bourn (hamstring) from the 15-day disabled list, but he was not in the starting lineup. ... Orioles 1B Chris Davis went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts and has fanned at least once in each of his last 30 starts. ... Kluber has allowed fewer than two runs in five straight starts, striking out 10 in three of those outings.

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