Cleveland, OH – Jose Lopez drove in three runs, Jason Kipnis collected three hits with two RBI and the Cleveland Indians beat the Kansas City Royals, 8-5, in the opener of a three-game set at Progressive Field.
Josh Tomlin (2-2) picked up the win in his return from the 15-day disabled list, allowing four runs on as many hits over five innings. Tomlin had been sidelined with right wrist soreness and Monday's outing was his first since May 7.
"I felt fine. It's been a long time since I've been out there in a game situation like that so my adrenaline kind of got the best of me in the late innings," said Tomlin.
The Indians avoided a season-high fourth straight loss by notching their fourth consecutive win at home.
Eric Hosmer and Brayan Pena both homered for Kansas City, which has dropped four of its last six games.
Nathan Adcock (0-3) absorbed the loss after being tagged for five runs -- four earned -- on six hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings.
Ahead 6-5, the Indians extended their lead in the seventh. Juan Diaz led off with a single and advanced to third when Jose Mijares' pickoff attempt struck him in the back and went out of play. Michael Brantley singled Diaz home, stole third after a Kipnis base hit and scored on a fielding error.
Chris Perez closed the door in the ninth to earn his 17th save of the season.
Hosmer opened the scoring with a two-run blast in the second, but the Indians answered with a five-run third.
Lonnie Chisenhall, who was recalled from Triple-A Columbus before the game, belted a leadoff home run in his season debut for the Tribe.
Cleveland then loaded the bases with one out on two singles and a walk. Kipnis made it 3-2 in favor of the home team with a two-run single up the middle. Lopez and Casey Kotchman also singled home a run to put the Indians up 5-2.
Kansas City got two runs back in the fifth when Pena launched his first home run of the year and Jarrod Dyson tripled into the right-field corner before scoring on Kipnis' errant throw to third.
Lopez plated Kipnis with a single in the bottom of the inning, but the Royals made it a one-run game in the top of the seventh when Dyson drew a one-out walk, pilfered second and hustled home on Alcides Escobar's single to right.
"I felt like our offense was battling back all day long. I thought our offense did a good job of staying in the game and staying after it," Royals manager Ned Yost said.
Game Notes
The Indians placed infielder Jack Hannahan on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left calf and designated pitcher Jairo Asencio for assignment...Cleveland pounded out 14 hits, twice as many as Kansas City...The Indians were 6-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
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