Staff Writer

CLEVELAND - The Indians’ bullpen has been a disaster all season, so why would Thursday night be any different?

Rafael Perez and Edward Mujica were the latest culprits, allowing eight different Baltimore players to score runs in the eighth inning and turning a tie game into what became an 11-6 Orioles victory.

Perez (2-3) gave up four runs, three earned, without recording an out, while Mujica surrendered four more tallies on three walks and three hits.

Even in a season full of late-inning meltdowns, this one was a doozy as Baltimore sent 13 men to the plate and Kevin Millar and Lou Montanez each had two hits and two RBI.

The Orioles’ eight runs in the inning were the most allowed by Cleveland in 2008 and made a winner out of ex-Indians pitcher Fernando Cabrera (1-1), who worked a scoreless seventh.

Adding injury to insult, the Tribe lost shortstop Jhonny Peralta to a left hand contusion. He was hit by a Daniel Cabrera pitch in the third, but didn’t leave until four innings later. Peralta was taken for X-rays, the results of which were not made available at press time.

Long forgotten by the end of the evening was the Indians debut of pitcher Zach Jackson, who was acquired in the CC Sabathia trade with Milwaukee. He was erratic throughout a five-inning stint, allowing eight hits, three runs, a walk and a wild pitch.

Baltimore starter Daniel Cabrera also gave up eight hits and three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. He walked two, hit two batters and threw a wild pitch - increasing his American League-leading totals in all three categories.

Millar, Montanez, Brian Roberts and Melvin Mora all had three hits for the Orioles, who banged out six doubles.

Trailing 11-3 entering the ninth, the Tribe made some noise with three runs off Alberto Castillo. Franklin Gutierrez led off with his sixth homer of the year and Kelly Shoppach and Ryan Garko added run-scoring hits.

It was far too little, too late, though as Cleveland fell to 54-66 and the Orioles improved to 58-62. Ben Francisco, Garko, Shoppach and Asdrubal Cabrera collected two hits apiece for the Indians.

The game started with a bang as Baltimore took a 2-0 lead in the first via a double by Mora, an RBI single by Ramon Hernandez and a fielding error by Asdrubal Cabrera. The damage could have been worse, though, as Jackson got out of the jam after allowing the first five Orioles to reach base.The Tribe tied it up in the bottom of the frame when Shin-Shoo Choo ripped a two-run double high off the left field wall, scoring Grady Sizemore and Francisco.

The score remained 2-2 until the top of the fifth, when Baltimore went in front on back-to-back ground rule doubles by Hernandez and Millar. The latter hit was bizarre as center fielder Sizemore and right fielder Choo both lost the ball in the lights and it dropped between them.

Sizemore, who was hit squarely on the right knee by a Cabrera fastball in the second, reached base four times. In addition to the HBP, he walked twice and singled.

The Indians tied the score at 3-3 with two out in the sixth when Asdrubal Cabrera doubled off the base of the right-center field wall, scoring Shoppach. They went on to load the bases, but pinch hitter Gutierrez struck out against reliever Rocky Cherry.

Baltimore had a chance to re-take the lead in the seventh against Juan Rincon, only to have Hernandez hit into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.

Dulik may be reached at brisports@hotmail.com or 330-721-4059.