Indians 11, Brewers 6
CLEVELAND -- Michael Brantley had three hits, including two home runs, and Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor also had three hits each as the Cleveland Indians, despite giving up four home runs, beat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-6 Tuesday night at Progressive Field.
Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy belted two home runs, as Milwaukee scored all its runs on the aforementioned home runs.
Right-hander Josh Tomlin (2-1) pitched six innings to get the win in his third start since coming off the disabled list, but it was the Cleveland offense that did most of the work. The Indians had 13 hits, their eighth consecutive home game in which they've had 10 or more hits. It's the first time Cleveland had 10 or more hits in eight consecutive home games since June of 1999.
Right-hander Wily Peralta (4-8) took the loss.
Indians designated hitter Kipnis had two doubles, a single, three runs scored and two RBIs, all in the first five innings. Left fielder Brantley had three hits, including two two-run home runs. Rookie shortstop Lindor had three hits and three RBIs as he raised his batting average to .306.
Tomlin only gave up five hits in his six innings of work, but three of them were home runs. Tomlin missed most of this season recovering from shoulder surgery. In three starts since being activated, he has a 3.26 ERA and has allowed 12 hits in 19 1/3 innings, but six of those 12 hits are home runs.
The third of the home runs allowed by Tomlin on Tuesday was by Brewers designated hitter Ryan Braun, who belted a two-run homer, his 23rd, in the sixth inning. That cut Cleveland's lead to 9-4. Lucroy's second home run of the night was a two-run shot off right-hander Ryan Webb in the eighth inning to make it 9-6.
Brantley's second two-run homer came in the bottom of the eighth, off left-hander Will Smith to make the final 11-6.
Milwaukee's only two runs in the early going came on solo home runs, by Lucroy in the first inning and right fielder Domingo Santana in the second inning.
Peralta failed to get through the third inning. Cleveland scored two runs in the first to take a 2-1 lead. Kipnis led off the bottom of the first with a double.
After a sacrifice bunt by Lindor and a walk drawn by Brantley, first baseman Carlos Santana doubled to right field, scoring Kipnis with Cleveland's first run. Right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall followed with a single to center, scoring Brantley with the Indians' second run.
Domino Santana's home run in the top of the second briefly tied it at 2-2, but the Indians scored two more runs in the second inning, aided by two Milwaukee errors. Indians third baseman Giovanny Urshela led off the inning by reaching first on an error by shortstop Jean Segura.
Urshela moved to second on an error by second baseman Scooter Gennett. Kipnis' second double in two innings drove in Urshela and gave the Indians a 3-2 lead, and an RBI single by Lindor extended that lead to 4-2.
The Indians added on again in the fourth inning, against right-hander Kyle Lohse, who relieved Peralta. Kipnis drew a walk leading off the fourth, and he rode home on a towering home run in the right field seats by Brantley, his 10th homer of the year, as Cleveland took a 6-2 lead.
In the fifth inning the Indians scored three more runs. Center fielder Abraham Almonte tripled and scored on a single by Kipnis. Lindor followed with a two-run double into the right field corner to make it 9-2.
NOTES: Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco was scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday because of soreness in his right shoulder. RHP Cody Anderson is expected to be activated from the disabled list to start in place of Carrasco. ... Indians RHP Corey Kluber has pitched 103 hitless innings this season, 10 more than any other pitcher in the majors. Washington RHP Max Scherzer is second with 93. ... Brewers RHP Francisco Rodriguez converted all 30 of his save opportunities this season and 35 in a row going back to last season. That's the longest active streak in the majors.