Major League Baseball

Moss leads Indians past Reds, 7-3

Published May. 22, 2015 10:19 p.m. ET

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CLEVELAND (AP) Indians manager Terry Francona remained upbeat as his team struggled through the first six weeks of the season. That approach might be paying off.

Cleveland's 7-3 victory over Cincinnati in Friday was its fourth in a row and sixth in its last eight games.

Even as the Indians were going 7-14 in April and beginning a road trip last weekend with a 12-21 mark, Francona maintained a positive outlook.

''I don't want this place to turn into a morgue,'' he said. ''That doesn't help anybody. I want them to show up and enjoy trying to do the right thing. First of all, I think that's the best way to play. If you start to be upset about what happened last week it doesn't make it any easier going forward.''

Brandon Moss homered and drove in three runs while Carlos Carrasco (5-4) allowed two runs in six innings.

''We're playing a lot better right now,'' Moss said. ''The clubhouse has been great the whole time. We've all had success. We know we can do things. Obviously we're disappointed with the way we started off, but when you've done well before and have that experience of doing well you don't panic.''

The Reds have lost a season-high six straight. Cincinnati has been outscored 47-16 during its losing streak and dropped to a season-worst five games below .500 at 18-23.

Moss homered in the third to break a 2-all tie and added a two-run double in the fourth.

Mike Leake (2-3) stumbled through four innings, allowing five runs, seven hits and five walks.

Jason Kipnis had three hits and two RBIs while Carlos Santana snapped an 0-for-25 slump with an RBI double in the seventh.

Carrasco struck out seven, including the side in his final inning, and held the Reds to four hits.

''He competed, he battled, he never gave in and he got better as he went on,'' Francona said.

The Indians, who were coming off a 5-2 road trip, improved to 7-12 at Progressive Field. Cleveland leads the annual Battle of Ohio 46-44 since 1997, when interleague play began.

Leake was coming off one of the worst outings of his career. The right-hander allowed a personal-worst nine runs and 11 hits, including three homers, over five innings in an 11-2 loss to San Francisco.

Billy Hamilton's RBI groundout in the second gave the Reds their first lead since their last win on May 14, but that didn't hold up for long. The Indians went ahead in the bottom half. Michael Bourn drew a bases-loaded walk and Kipnis added an RBI single.

Todd Frazier's RBI double tied the game in the third.

ALMOST READY

C Yan Gomes (sprained right knee) is expected to be activated Sunday. He caught nine innings Friday at Triple-A Columbus. Francona said there was some consideration given to activate Gomes on Saturday so he could catch RHP Corey Kluber, but it was decided he should catch a full game on his rehab assignment before rejoining the Indians.

Roberto Perez, who has been the No. 1 catcher in Gomes' absence, threw out two runners trying to steal and had his first career triple Friday.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Reds: LHP Manny Parra (neck strain) made his second rehab appearance for Triple-A Louisville, tossing 1 2-3 scoreless innings Friday against Pawtucket.

Indians: OF Michael Brantley, who has been dealing with a sore back since spring training, was the DH on Friday. He has appeared in 35 of Cleveland's 41 games.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Anthony DeSclafani, who was acquired from the Marlins in December, seeks his first win since April 20. The rookie is 0-4 with a 6.38 ERA in five starts.

Indians: Kluber, who has been dominant in his last two starts, will look for his second win of the season. Kluber, last season's AL Cy Young winner, has 30 strikeouts in 17 innings over his last two outings.

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