Baltimore @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( May 25, 2014 ) Cleveland 2, Baltimore 4

The best road team in the American League looks to continue its surge when the Baltimore Orioles visit the Cleveland Indians for the first of three games on Friday. The Orioles have won eight of their last 11 road games and have yet to lose a series away from home all season. They haven't been too shabby at home, finishing up a 4-1 homestand with Wednesday's 5-3 win over the New York Yankees to extend their lead in the American League East to a season-high 7 1/2 games.

A pair of eighth-inning home runs lifted Baltimore in the series finale with New York and increased the club's major league-leading total to 152. The Orioles are 58-25 when going deep at least once, but will be tested Friday against Indians right-hander Corey Kluber, who has not allowed a home run during a five-start stretch in which he is 4-0 with a 0.68 ERA. After a doubleheader split with Arizona on Wednesday, Cleveland sits six games out in the AL Central and 5 1/2 back of the second wild-card spot.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Baltimore), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles LH Wei-Yin Chen (12-4, 3.90 ERA) vs. Indians RH Corey Kluber (13-6, 2.46)

Chen's personal five-game winning streak came to an abrupt end Aug. 6 at Toronto, which got to him for four runs and eight hits in five innings. He was scheduled to start Tuesday against New York but had his turn pushed back due to a rainout. Chen will have a chance to improve upon his last meeting with Cleveland on May 22 when he gave up five runs in 6 2/3 innings while striking out just one batter. Overall, Chen has been reached for 11 runs in 13 frames over two career starts versus the Indians.

Kluber has a remarkable 45 strikeouts against four walks during his five-game run of dominance and has limited opponents to only 23 hits in 40 innings in that stretch. He struck out nine in seven scoreless innings at Baltimore on May 24 to help Cleveland to a 9-0 rout. The Stetson University product, who tossed six scoreless frames at the Yankees his last time out, has won each of his last four home starts and is 7-2 overall at Progressive Field.

WALK-OFFS

1. Orioles 1B Chris Davis has struck out at least once in each of his last 29 starts.

2. Cleveland's rotation has allowed two runs in 24 1/3 innings over a four-game stretch.

3. Baltimore DH Nelson Cruz is 3-for-9 with a home run and two doubles against Kluber.

PREDICTION: Indians 4, Orioles 3