Field Level Media
Jun 19, 2019
Jason Kipnis homered twice and drove in four runs as the Cleveland Indians posted a 10-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas.
Kipnis belted a three-run blast to highlight a five-run first inning and added a solo shot in the fifth to record his sixth career multi-homer performance and second this season. He also had a pair of homers in a 14-7 win over the Baltimore Orioles on May 16.
Roberto Perez homered in his second consecutive contest, and Jordan Luplow drove in three runs for the Indians, who have won 10 of their past 14 games.
Oliver Perez (2-1) threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings and was credited with the win as the third of four relievers backing up Cleveland starter Adam Plutko.
Former Indian Asdrubal Cabrera homered, drove in a pair of runs and scored twice for the Rangers, who have lost three of their past four games.
Cleveland wasted little time flexing its muscles against Joe Palumbo (0-1), who was making his second career start. Francisco Lindor singled to start the game and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt before coming around to score on Carlos Santana's single.
Luplow then was hit by a pitch to set up Kipnis, who launched a 1-2 curveball from Palumbo over the wall in right field to stake the Indians to a 4-0 lead.
Perez, who was part of Cleveland's back-to-back-to-back homers Tuesday in a 10-3 win, followed up Kipnis' first blast Wednesday with one of his own, just inside the right field foul pole.
Cabrera snapped an 0-for-12 stretch by sending a 1-1 fastball from Plutko into the second deck in right-center field to trim Texas' deficit to 5-1 in the second inning.
Cleveland answered Cabrera's 11th homer of the season with two more runs in the third as Luplow ripped an RBI double before coming home on Jose Ramirez's single.
Cabrera struck again in the fourth as his double to right field plated Willie Calhoun before he came around to score on Plutko's throwing error to cut the Indians' advantage to 7-3.
Kipnis hit a solo shot in the fifth, and Luplow added a two-run single in the ninth.
Danny Santana hit a solo homer for Texas in the bottom of the ninth, his sixth of the year.
Palumbo surrendered seven runs on six hits and three walks with one strikeout in two-plus innings. Plutko gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits and no walks with five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
--Field Level Media