ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jason Kipnis hit two home runs, going back-to-back with Roberto Pérez during a five-run first inning, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Texas Rangers 10-4 on Wednesday night.
The Indians have won 10 of their last 14 games. They have hit nine home runs in winning two of the first three games of a four-game series.
Kipnis pulled a three-run homer that cleared the Texas bullpen in right-center and gave Cleveland a 4-0 lead in the top of the first. Pérez followed by slicing an opposite-field homer that landed just inside the right-field foul pole.
Kipnis also homered down the right-field line in the fifth with two outs for his second two-homer game of the season and sixth of his career. He has three homers in his last four games after a 24-game drought.
Indians starter Adam Plutko, staked to a 7-1 lead in the third inning, lasted only 4 1/3 innings and gave up three runs, two earned, on seven hits. Oliver Perez (2-1) pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for the win.
Joe Palumbo (0-1), who was recalled from Double-A Frisco earlier in the day to make his second major league start, was pulled after allowing the first four batters to reach base in the third inning. Palumbo gave up seven runs and six hits, with three walks and one hit batter. He lasted four innings against the Oakland Athletics on June 8.
Palumbo pitched in the rotation spot that belonged until last week to left-hander Drew Smyly, who gave up three consecutive home runs to Cleveland in relief on Tuesday.
Asdrúbal Cabrera and ninth-inning pinch-hitter Danny Santana hit solo home runs for Texas.
SHORT HOPS
Indians RF Jordan Luplow had two hits and three RBIs. ... All 11 of Cabrera's home runs this season have come at home. ... Rangers RF Shin-Soo Choo extended his home on-base streak to 32 games, second longest in the major leagues this season, with a first-inning single. ... Texas LF Willie Calhoun, who singled in the fourth, has reached in all nine of his games this season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Indians: Manager Terry Francona said he was pleased with the Wednesday workout of RHP Mike Clevenger, who turned his left ankle during his start Monday. Clevenger's side throwing day was pushed back from Wednesday to Thursday.
Rangers: LHP Jeffrey Springs (bicep tendinitis) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Monday. ... OF Scott Heineman (shoulder) was sent to the team's spring training complex in Arizona to begin a rehab assignment.
UP NEXT
Indians RHP Shane Bieber (6-2, 3.92) will close out the series on Thursday afternoon. Bieber is 4-1 on the road in seven appearances, six starts.
Rangers LHP Mike Minor (6-4, 2.63) ranks fifth in the American League in ERA but is only 1-1 in his last five starts with only nine runs of support.
