BALTIMORE – Ben Broussard homered in a five-run first inning against Sidney Ponson and Travis Hafner added a two-run shot in the seventh, leading the Cleveland Indians over the Baltimore Orioles 9-4 Sunday.

The Indians took three of four from Baltimore to improve to 12-5-1 in their last 18 series. Hafner went 2-for-3 with two walks and scored three runs, completing a seven-game road trip during which he went 12-for-27 with three homers and 11 RBIs.

Brian Roberts homered and drove in three runs, and Luis Matos also connected and had three hits for the Orioles, who have lost nine of 11.

Baltimore’s Rafael Palmeiro went 0-for-4, remaining eight hits short of 3,000. He has gone hitless in three straight games following a 12-game hitting streak.

Cleveland starter Cliff Lee (9-3) allowed four runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings to improve to 7-1 on the road. He’s 3-0 in six starts since June 1.

The Indians got all the runs they needed in the first inning. Coco Crisp hit a one-out single, advanced on a walk to Hafner and scored on a single by Victor Martinez. Ronnie Belliard followed with an RBI single before Broussard hit a three-run drive over the wall in left-center, his ninth home run.

Ponson (7-6) was lifted with one out in the second after giving up an RBI single to Crisp and walking Hafner. The right-hander faced only 12 batters, yielding six runs, six hits and two walks.

Ponson is 0-7 with a 9.47 ERA in 12 career games against Cleveland, the only AL team he has failed to beat.

Matos and Roberts hit solo homers in the third. It was Matos’ second home run, his first since opening day, and Roberts’ 14th – two more than he had in his major league career before this season.

Cleveland made it 7-2 in the fifth against James Baldwin. Hafner and Martinez hit singles before Belliard lofted a foul sacrifice fly into the right-field corner that scored Hafner without a throw.

Hafner hit his 14th homer in the seventh after Steve Kline issued a leadoff walk to Crisp. Roberts chased Lee with a two-run double in the bottom half.

Notes: Martinez has hit in 14 straight games, tying a career high. … Ponson’s ERA went from 5.35 to 5.80. He has one win in six starts since June 1. … Cleveland is 24-1 when scoring at least six runs. … Cleveland’s Aaron Boone went 3-for-26 (.115) on the road trip. … 3B Melvin Mora returned to Baltimore’s lineup after a 10-game absence with a strained hamstring and went 1-for-4.

AP-ES-07-03-05 1944EDT

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