CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- The Cleveland Indians continue to struggle in the innings that matter most.
Jeff Conine delivered a two-out, two-run single off Carl Sadler in the 12th inning as the Baltimore Orioles rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Indians.
Cleveland has been outscored, 27-10, this season after the seventh inning. Baltimore scored three runs in the final two innings of Wednesday's victory and got more late-game heroics in the series finale.
"We have to do a better job late, late in games, finishing them off and finding a way to win," Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said. "We're going through a lot of tough things now."
"We'll take them however we can get them," said Baltimore manager Mike Hargrove, who saw his team win a series in Cleveland for the first time since 1992. "It's good to come in here and take two out of three. It's better than the alternative."
The Orioles forged a 4-4 tie on Jerry Hairston's two-run single off C.C. Sabathia with two outs in the seventh inning.
Cleveland reliever Chad Paronto (0-2) started the 12th inning and issued a leadoff walk to Geronimo Gil. He allowed a one-out walk to Melvin Mora, who hit the decisive homer in the ninth inning of Wednesday's game.
Sadler entered and struck out B.J. Surhoff but uncorked a wild pitch that allowed pinch runner Jose Morban and Mora to advance. Conine capped a 10-pitch at-bat by driving 2-2 pitch into left-center field to plate both runners for a 6-4 lead.
"It was the best (at-bat) in recent memory," Conine said. "He was throwing everything at me. I told myself to keep fighting it off until I got something to handle. A couple of the pitches were past me and I literally took them out of the glove to stay alive. He left a curveball up and even that was a good pitch. I was able to drop it in to left-center."
"He put a great at-bat," Hargrove said. "He cut his swing down and Sadler was really bearing down on him. Jeff is a professional hitter and did a great job there. He's one of the guys you would like to see up there."
Baltimore's Jorge Julio needed just nine pitches in the 12th inning to notch his second save in as many nights and third this season.
Willis Roberts (1-1) recorded the victory after pitching a perfect 11th for the Orioles.
Conine homered to open the second inning and give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. But the Indians answered with three runs in the bottom half against Sidney Ponson.
Shane Spencer hit a leadoff single and Matt Lawton walked before Travis Hafner hit his first homer of the season to give Cleveland a 3-1 edge.
Karim Garcia's leadoff homer in the sixth inning gave the Indians a 4-2 lead.
Sabathia had retired nine of the previous 10 batters before allowing a one-out single to Tony Batista in the seventh. He walked Marty Cordova and Deivi Cruz singled to load the bases.
After Gil popped out, Hairston singled into right-center field to plate Batista and Cordova with the tying runs.
"I was cruising the whole game. I left a pitcher over the plate and I paid for it," Sabathia said. "I am a little disappointed in myself for giving up the lead. They gave me four runs, but I gave it up."
