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CLEVELAND -- Before touching home plate, Mike Aviles slowed down long enough to get splashed in the face with cold water by his teammates. Maybe the Indians are waking up just in time. Aviles homered leading off the 11th inning Friday night to give Cleveland a 2-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Aviles, who made two barehanded plays at third base earlier in the game, connected on a 1-2 pitch from Brian Matusz (2-3), driving it onto the home run porch in left field for just Clevelands second run in the past 22-plus innings. The Indians were shut out 1-0 by Arizona in 12 innings on Wednesday night. After rounding third, Aviles was doused by his jubilant teammates, who then embraced him and danced as one up the first-base line. "That would have been a tough one to lose," Indians manager Terry Francona said. The Indians ninth walk-off win -- and second in three games -- allowed them to keep their playoff push going and not waste another strong outing from Corey Kluber, who allowed just one run in 7 2-3 innings and remained unbeaten in eight starts since June. Scott Atchison (6-0) retired all six batters. Kluber struck out 10 and has allowed just four runs in 47 2-3 innings over six second-half starts. He has a 0.76 ERA since July 6. The stoic Kluber, nicknamed "Klubot" by for his passive demeanour, walked one. "Hes so good and he competes," Francona said. "Hes just worked himself into being one of the premier pitchers in baseball. He wants to be the best." Rookie Zach Walters homered off Baltimore starter Wei-Yin Chen as the Indians won for the fourth time in five games. Blanked until the eighth by Kluber, the Orioles tied it on J.J. Hardys two-out single. After Kluber got two outs, Nelson Cruz singled off the right-hander, who has been on a remarkable run during the seasons second half. Kluber received a standing ovation from Clevelands fans as he walked to the dugout, and he had barely taken a seat when the Orioles evened it against Bryan Shaw. Delmon Young singled and Hardy, who missed the previous four games with a sprained left thumb, also singled, with Cruz scoring ahead of centre fielder Michael Brantleys throw to the plate. Klubers eight double-digit strikeout games this season are the most for an Indians pitcher since Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley in 1976. Walters gave the Indians a 1-0 lead with a homer in the fifth off Chen, who allowed only four hits in seven innings. During his brilliant second-half stretch, Kluber has struck out 55 in less than 48 innings, outdueled Seattle ace Felix Hernandez, downed the Tigers and Yankees and carried a perfect game into the seventh at Kansas City on July 24 before getting a no-decision. Kluber hasnt lost since June 30, and that was a 1-0 setback against the Dodgers. GAMESMANSHIP Francona wasnt pleased with how the umpires handled Baltimore manager Buck Showalter contesting that Orioles centre fielder Adam Jones was hit by a pitch in the eighth. Francona felt the delay -- Jones squared to bunt and appeared to get hit in the hand -- may have affected Kluber. After looking at a replay, the umpires determined Jones offered at the pitch. THIS BUDS FOR YOU: Francona had high praise for baseball commissioner Bud Selig, who will be replaced in January by Rob Manfred. Francona has gotten to know Selig over the years and credited him with steering the game through "some tumultuous times." "I cant imagine trying to please 30 owners and 30 teams," Francona said, "especially the way baseball is set up." TRAINERS ROOM Orioles: 3B Manny Machado (sprained right knee) is travelling with the team, but theres no timetable for when his return. Indians: 1B Nick Swisher will have his right knee examined again on Tuesday in Los Angeles. Its possible hell need season-ending surgery, and Swishers injury could explain his lack of production in his second season with Cleveland. UP NEXT Former Indians RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (4-8) faces his ex-teammates for the second time this season. Jimenez went 13-9 for Cleveland last season before signing with Baltimore as a free agent. Hell face RHP Carlos Carrasco (4-4), making his second start since returning to Clevelands rotation. Ndamukong Suh Jersey . The Americans, skipped by John Shuster, seized the advantage in the eighth end by scoring five points for a 7-3 lead. The Czechs pulled two back in the ninth, but Shusters team of third Jeff Isaacson, second Jared Zezel and lead John Landsteiner ended with another point to secure the last Olympic berth on offer. 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Minnesota dropped the first two tests of this best-of-seven set at Chicagos United Center and was outscored by a combined 9-3 margin in those setbacks. However, the Wild righted themselves at home by taking Game 3 by a 4-0 count before knotting the series at two games apiece with Fridays 4-2 triumph at Xcel Energy Center.KANSAS CITY, Mo. - John Dorsey likes to say that it takes several years before a verdict can be returned on a draft pick. There is a learning curve for rookies, often a steep one. The pro game is faster, players are stronger and the plays more complex.If thats the case, the first two draft classes of the Chiefs general manager — panned so often by fans and pundits — may actually be right on track.First-round pick Dee Ford played nearly half of the snaps in Sundays win over Oakland, a vast improvement over early in the season, when the linebacker barely got on the field.Third-round pick Phillip Gaines is now starting at cornerback. Fourth-round pick DeAnthony Thomas returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown against the Raiders. Sixth-round pick Zach Fulton has been starting at guard. Kicker Cairo Santos and wide receiver Albert Wilson, a pair of undrafted rookies, have become key components of the Chiefs playoff run.Thats a tribute to John, coach Andy Reid said. Were sitting here later in the year and all of a sudden you are seeing these guys, the Albert Wilsons of the team, produce. Fulton has continued to mature. Dee Ford, you saw him out there, the last two weeks hes had a lot of snaps.Important snaps, too. The Chiefs (8-6) have been teetering on the edge of post-season elimination, and remain on shaky ground heading to Pittsburgh — another playoff contender — for Sundays game.Dorsey brought his draft philosophy with him from Green Bay, where he learned on the knee of longtime GMs Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson. The basic principal is to draft the best player on the board regardless of position or need, which is easy to say but difficult to do.It worked most clearly when the Packers chose Aaron Rodgers in the first round despite having Brett Favre at quarterback. Fast forward a few years and, while other teams scramble to address their quarterback situation, the transition from Favre to Rodgers was almost seamless.In Kansas City, the idea may be working out in similar fashion.The Chiefs were seemingly set at outside linebackerr with Tamba Hali and Justin Houston, but chose Ford this year anyway, despite pressing needs elsewhere.dddddddddddd Now, if Ford is able to push for more playing time, it might make Hali and his albatross of a contract expendable. And that would give the franchise the flexibility to address other holes, such as signing Houston to a long-term deal.All of that lies in the future, though. Right now, the Chiefs are focused solely on the present, and that means trying to squeak into the playoffs. And the production of the last two draft classes will promise to be just as important in that endeavour.Left tackle Eric Fisher, the Chiefs first-round pick a year ago, will need to be able to pry open holes for running backs Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis while protecting quarterback Alex Smith.Davis, a third-round pick, has had to carry more of the burden in recent weeks with Charles banged up. He ran for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass in last weeks win over the Raiders.Then theres tight end Travis Kelce, another third-round pick. On a team that does not have a wide receiver that has caught a touchdown pass this season, Kelce has filled the void. He has a team-leading 56 catches for 747 yards and five touchdowns — and a penchant for early celebrations.Youve just got to go out there and make sure you are playing within the fundamentals, he said, and the techniques of the game and not getting too high or too low.Thomas, who has played more on offence lately, said after springing his punt return for a touchdown last week that the game is slowing down. Everything is coming into focus. And that could go for all the first- and second-year players who are being asked to perform.Ive been learning. Ive been learning the whole season. Its to the point where Im starting to get a feel of it, he said. I want to go out there, make plays and get our team going.NOTES: WR Dwayne Bowe and DT Jaye Howard missed practice Thursday with an illness. Hali was out with a bothersome knee that limited him in practice the previous day. 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