Thome homers as O’s top Tribe

Associated Press

cleveland

Jim Thome hit his 610th career homer to move into seventh place on the career list and the Baltimore Orioles pounded out a 10-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Friday night.

Thome passed Sammy Sosa on the career list with a towering 418-foot shot off Derek Lowe (8-8) to open the fourth inning.

Ryan Flaherty had a three-run homer and Mark Reynolds doubled home two runs in a six-run third for Baltimore, which won its third straight.

Miguel Gonzalez (2-1) gave up seven hits over 62/3 innings in his third career start. The right-hander struck out five and is 1-0 with a 2.14 ERA on the road.

Asdrubal Cabrera and Jack Hannahan homered for Cleveland, which has lost six of its last nine.

Orioles reliever Matt Lindstrom was hit in the left knee by a wicked line drive by Johnny Damon in the eighth. He wanted to stay in the game, but with a 10-2 lead, manager Buck Showalter brought in Kevin Gregg with the bases loaded and two outs and Lindstrom walked to the dugout.

Thome’s homer into the right-field seats was his sixth this season and first since being acquired by Baltimore on July 1 from the Philadelphia Phillies for two minor-leaguers. He had signed with the Phillies as a free agent last winter.

It also was the 41-year-old slugger’s 189th homer at Progressive Field. The left-handed slugger holds Cleveland’s career record with 337 homers. He was a key part of the Indians’ power-laden lineup from 1991 through 2002 and returned for the final two months of the 2011 season.

Ken Griffey Jr. is next on the career list with 630 homers.

Thome had three hits, including his 449th career double, tying Hall of Famer Joe Morgan and two others for 97th all-time. He also struck out for the 2,526th time, leaving him 61 behind career leader Reggie Jackson.

Baltimore took a 1-0 lead in the first on a wild pitch by Lowe. J.J. Hardy hit a one-out double, moved up on a groundout by Thome and scored when Adam Jones walked on a pitch that got past catcher Matt Wieters.

Cleveland tied it in the bottom half on Cabrera’s 12th homer. Hannahan hit his fourth in the seventh to make it 10-2.

Lowe allowed nine runs and seven hits over three-plus innings. He walked five without a strikeout.

The right-hander was the Indians’ best starter in the first two months of the season, but the 39-year-old veteran is 2-7 with an 8.31 ERA in his last 10 starts — allowing 48 earned runs and 75 hits in 52 innings.

Reynolds went 1 for 5 and is hitting .304 with eight RBIs over six games after going 10 for 66 (.152) with seven RBIs in his previous 22 contests.

Cleveland RHP Cody Allen made his major-league debut, working one inning in relief. The 23rd-round draft pick in 2011 was called up from Triple-A Columbus as the Indians optioned out LHP Scott Barnes

Hannahan moved from third base to shortstop in the seventh — for his sixth career appearance at the position.

Cleveland leads the series 24-16 since 2007. The Indians took three of four in Baltimore, June 28-July 1.