Jimmy Paredes singled to right field today in the top of the fourth inning, which draws a different response now that he's cooled off at the plate.
This isn't Jimmy being Jimmy. It's Paredes in desperate need of a hit.
Paredes was in a 2-for-35 slump dating to May 27, his averaging falling to .296. He was hitting .353 before the bat went cold.
Matt Wieters served as the designated hitter yesterday, which forced Paredes to the bench. Wieters is catching today and should be behind the plate Tuesday following an off-day. It's just a question of whether Paredes remains as the designated hitter against Red Sox rookie left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.
Manny Machado reached on an infield hit with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth, allowing Paredes to score and give the Orioles a 2-0 lead. Machado had a bunt single in his previous at-bat.
Travis Snider delivered two more runs with a single into center field. Nice slide by Ryan Flaherty to avoid Yan Gomes' tag.
Machado has four hits in the last two days after being 3-for-20 over the previous five games. Snider had one RBI in his last 27 games before today. His last multi-RBI game was April 23.
As I've stated - along with many others - the slumping regulars on this team need to start hitting. It doesn't matter how many different lineups manager Buck Showalter trots out each day or how certain players are producing at Triple-A Norfolk. The core group has got to hit.
Bud Norris struck out five batters in three scoreless innings today before running into trouble in the fourth. He was painting the outside corner with 93-94 mph fastballs. And he survived a leadoff walk to Brandon Moss in the second, which makes him special on this staff.
The Indians scored once in the fourth to reduce the Orioles' lead to 4-1 and raise Norris' pitch count to 69. It didn't help that shortstop J.J. Hardy missed the tag on an attempted pickoff of Moss, who had an RBI double. That never happens to Hardy.
Norris minimized the damage with back-to-back strikeouts after two doubles and a hit batter. The seven strikeouts match his season high on April 15 against the Yankees.
There's been a scoring change from yesterday's game and it came on the final play.
Wieters struck out and Chris Davis was thrown out trying to advance to second base on a ball in the dirt, completing the Indians' 2-1 win. It originally was scored a double play, but now it's just a strikeout and a misplay between outs.
Take away the double play for Gomes and Mike Aviles.
Update: The Orioles take the series with a 7-3 victory - their third win in the last four games.
Norris gets the win after allowing one run and four hits in five innings, with two walks, seven strikeouts and a hit batter.
Paredes had two hits and Wieters tripled and homered. Wieters' last home run before today was May 1, 2014 in the second game of a doubleheader against the Pirates.
Adam Jones had two more hits, including his third home run in the past four games.
Chaz Roe was charged with his first run in seven appearances with the Orioles. Darren O'Day allowed a run with two outs in the ninth before Cesar Cabral replaced him and registered a strikeout.
The Orioles are 26-30 heading into their off day. The seven runs are the most they've scored since an 8-5 win over the Marlins on May 22.
Manager Buck Showalter (1,285) passes Frank Sell for sole possession of 34th place on the all-time list.
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