Sowers, Hafner lead Tribe win

The left-hander allowed one run in eight innings of a 6-1 victory in Baltimore.

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Cleveland Indians were doubly rewarded for their patience: Jeremy Sowers and Travis Hafner both put on a performance reminiscent of their past.

Sowers pitched eight innings of four-hit ball and Hafner had two singles in his long-awaited return from the disabled list to lead the Indians over the Baltimore Orioles 6-1 on Tuesday night.

Sowers (3-8) gave up one run, struck out seven and walked one. The left-hander was 1-5 with a 7.43 ERA in nine road starts and 0-2 with a 9.50 ERA in four career appearances against the Orioles.

“I don’t think it really matters how you’ve been pitching. When you pitch well, you pitch well,” Sowers said. “I’m proud of it. It’s nice to be able to command all three pitches. That hasn’t happened too often.”

It was the most effective outing of the season by the former No. 1 draft pick, who is seeking to regain the form he displayed while going 7-4 in 2006.

“That’s the way you love to see Jeremy pitch. It goes back to what we’ve always talked about — being able to command his fastball, move it left to right on the plate, up and down,” Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said. “He did a pretty good job of strike one today; he worked ahead for the most part.”

Sowers twice retired 10 consecutive batters. He threw 96 pitches, 72 for strikes.

“He just kept going. He didn’t alter anything,” Wedge said. “I think his focus, his mind-set, stayed the same. That’s what you like to see your starting pitcher do.”

Hafner went 2-for-4 with a walk in his first game since May 25, when he was placed on the DL with a strained right shoulder.

“He looked good, [took] a couple of strong swings,” Wedge said. “I felt like it was a great start for him in regard to him getting back with us and getting back into the swing of things here at this level.”

A career .290 hitter, Hafner was batting .217 at the time of the injury. Batting fifth, he had a role in three different innings in which the Indians scored.

“I think when you put somebody like that in the middle of the order, his presence does help the people around him,” Wedge said.

Cleveland’s Shin-Soo Choo went 0-for-5, ending his 12-game hitting streak and run of 28 straight games reaching base safely.

Ramon Hernandez drove in the lone run for the Orioles, who have lost 14 of 16.