Indians Walk Right by Orioles

As dark and dreary as the clouds were overhead Sunday, they weren’t as ugly as the Orioles’ pitching performance.

Cleveland received five walks during a seven-run fifth inning, and Jim Thome hit a home run and scored four runs as the Indians defeated the Orioles, 15-7.

The start of the game was delayed one hour, 29 minutes by rain. There was also a 17-minute rain delay in the second inning, and dark clouds hovered over the stadium for much of the day.

The game lasted 3:30, in part because Oriole pitchers issued 10 walks and the Indians walked four. Eight of the 10 base on balls given up by the Orioles turned into runs. Half the batters walked by Cleveland scored.

“That was a whipping,” Oriole Manager Ray Miller said. “They had 12 hits, we had 11. We walked 10 and that was the difference.”

Manny Ramirez hit his 38th homer for the Indians, who overcame a poor outing by starter Dwight Gooden to win for the sixth time in seven games.

Gooden gave up seven runs, eight hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings. He has a 7.41 earned-run average in his last 12 starts, and Indian Manager Mike Hargrove is considering removing him from the rotation.

“I don’t want to say yes or no,” Hargrove said. “Doc was just behind a lot of hitters. Doc’s got good stuff when he’s in the strike zone, but today he wasn’t.”

Jim Brower (1-0), making his major-league debut, shut out the Orioles on two hits in 4 1/3 innings of relief.

Jeff Conine drove in four runs for the Orioles, who fell to 1-8 against the Indians this season. Baltimore pitchers issued at least one walk to every Cleveland starter except catcher Einar Diaz.

Oriole starter Sidney Ponson (11-11) failed in his fifth consecutive attempt at victory No. 12, giving up eight runs, six hits and five walks in four-plus innings. In three starts against the Indians this season he is 0-3 with a 13.17 ERA.