O's push across run in eighth on Chris Davis' single to beat Indians 4-3

The Orioles had to get the lead twice tonight, but they did so with clutch hits in the sixth and eighth innings to beat Cleveland 4-3 in front of 31,112 at Camden Yards in the opener of the series and a seven-game homestand.

The Orioles are 39-34 and go five games over the .500 mark for the first time in 2015.

After 2014 Cy Young Winner Corey Kluber allowed three runs over seven innings, Marc Rzepczynski came on to start the eighth in a 3-3 tie and was greeted by three hits on three pitches as the Orioles scored to take the lead. Jimmy Paredes doubled for his third hit and scored on a Chris Davis single to right for a 4-3 lead and his 43rd RBI.

Earlier, Kluber looked to be in control. He had fanned 10 Orioles and took a 2-1 lead to the last of the sixth. But the Orioles put together three clutch hits that inning and one productive out to get the lead 3-2.

Paredes led off the sixth with a single to center. With one out, he was running on the pitch when Chris Parmelee doubled to right. As he was rounding third, coach Bobby Dickerson first waved him home but then put up the stop sign, and the O's had second and third with one out.

J.J. Hardy, whose solo homer tied the game 1-1 in the second, lined one to center field that went for a sac fly and 2-2 tie. Ryan Flaherty then came up with a clutch two-out hit as his bloop single to center put the Orioles ahead 3-2. Flaherty has nine RBIs his last 10 games.

The Indians got solo homers from Brandon Moss in the second (No. 12) and Ryan Raburn in the fourth (No. 4) off Wei-Yin Chen to take 1-0 and 2-1 leads.

Hardy's home run ended a stretch of 35 games and 134 plate appearances without a homer. He hit a 92 mph 2-0 fastball from Kluber over the left field wall for his third of the year. His last homer was May 15.

The O's bullpen lost a rare lead tonight. With that 3-2 edge, Darren O'Day gave up a solo homer in the eighth to Carlos Santana for a 3-3 tie. It was the first homer allowed by O'Day since May 16, but the O's rally in the last of that inning made him the winning pitcher tonight. Zach Britton closed it out for his 22nd save in 23 appearances.

Chen got a no-decision. In his first big league outing since June 15, he went six innings, allowing seven hits and two runs on 106 pitches; his ERA is now 2.90.

The Orioles have won five of six, 14 of 18 and 16 of the last 21 games. They are 23-13 at home, winning eight of their last nine at Camden Yards.

In the second game of this series on Saturday at 7:15 p.m., Chris Tillman (5-7, 6.22 ERA) faces right-hander Cody Anderson (0-0, 0.00 ERA) who pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings in his major league debut June 21 against Tampa Bay.