Kim's First Home Run Helps Orioles Claim Victory Over Cleveland
CLEVELAND -- The Baltimore Orioles claimed victory on Sunday by winning the biggest at-bat of the game.
Orioles reliever Darren O'Day triumphed over Cleveland's Lonnie Chisenhall in his critical eighth-inning at-bat, and the Orioles beat the Indians 6-4 at Progressive Field.
Hyun Soo Kim's first major league home run broke a 4-4 tie in the seventh inning, but in the bottom of the eighth, with one out and the bases loaded with Baltimore clinging to a 5-4 lead, it was O'Day vs. Chisenhall.
"That's what this game is all about. Getting out of situations like that," O'Day said.
It was a nine-pitch at-bat in which Chisenhall fouled off six pitches and worked the count to 3-2.
"I threw him a bunch of high fastballs and he fouled all of them off," O'Day said. "So I recognized it was time to try something else."
The something else was a late-breaking slider that caught the outside corner. The pitch froze Chisenhall, who took it for a called third strike.
"It was a backdoor slider that wasn't really a good pitch, but I think it surprised him," said O'Day.
"That was a tough, gutsy pitch to throw there, and it was the only time he threw it," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.
"(O'Day) kept elevating his fastball then threw Lonnie a breaking ball that froze him," Indians manager Terry Francona said.
O'Day then struck out Yan Gomes to end the eighth.
The Indians threatened again in the ninth. But with runners at first and second and nobody out, Orioles closer Zach Britton got the final three outs to pick up his 14th save.
"We had some really good opportunities. We just weren't able to do anything with them," said Francona.
That's because Baltimore starter Chris Tillman and three relievers got all the big outs when they needed them.
"And that's a tough lineup," Showalter said. "You don't just toss your hat out there and get them out."
Tillman (7-1) pitched six innings to get the win. Tillman only gave up four hits but three of them were home runs -- by Carlos Santana, Mike Napoli and Jason Kipnis.
Baltimore got a three-run double from Mark Trumbo in the first inning and solo home runs from Kim in the seventh and Nolan Reimold in the eighth.
Kim's homer, off Jeff Manship (0-1), broke a 4-4 tie in the seventh.
When Kim returned to the dugout, his teammates ignored him as a prank for a few seconds before finally surrounding him for the usual high fives and back-slapping.
Kim said he wasn't caught off guard by the prank.
"I've seen that before in Korea, so I was aware they might do it," he said, with a smile. "I just decided to stay quiet until they reacted."
Indians rookie right-hander Mike Clevinger made his third major league start and it began poorly as he loaded the bases in the first inning on two walks and a single. Trumbo cleared the bases with his double off the left field wall, giving the Orioles a 3-0 lead.
Clevenger, recently called up from Triple-A Columbus, gave up four runs in four innings and has an 8.79 ERA in his three starts.
"He's learning on the run," Francona said. "When you make a mistake here you pay for it more than in the minors."
Baltimore stretched its lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Flaherty.
Santana led off the fourth with a home run to right field, cutting the Baltimore lead to 4-1. Two batters later Napoli belted a two-run homer to make it 4-3.
The Indians tied it at 4 when Kipnis led off the sixth inning with a home run into the right field seats. But that was the last run the Indians scored.
