CLEVELAND _ The Indians followed a string of lackluster performances with an offensive barrage Tuesday night, easily downing the Kansas City Royals, 9-3, at Progressive Field.
The Indians (78-60) entered Tuesday riding a three-game losing streak with eight runs in those games, much of them coming in ninth-inning rallies that still came up short. It prompted Francisco Lindor to note on Monday that his own energy might be lacking, though he added he didn't need a day off.
Lindor proved the latter notion his first time up to bat Tuesday night. Facing Danny Duffy, Lindor lined a solo home run over the 19-foot wall in left field to lead off the first inning. The Indians ended up with dual three-run innings in the first and second.
Yandy Diaz followed Lindor's home run with a single and Jose Ramirez walked. With one out, Brandon Guyer singled to load the bases. The Indians made it 2-0 on a groundout by Melky Cabrera and then added another run with Jason Kipnis' RBI single to right field, ending Duffy's night.
Burch Smith entered for the Royals (46-92) in place of Duffy, who left the game in the first with a shoulder injury, but the onslaught continued. With two on and one out in the second, Ramirez doubled in a run. Edwin Encarnacion followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to score Diaz, who had walked, and Guyer singled to left to score Ramirez and extend the Indians' lead to 6-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, Kipnis added an RBI single. An inning later, Diaz finally did it. In his 70th career major-league game, Diaz hit his first career home run, a solo shot to center field off Royals reliever Jake Newberry. It was Diaz's 244th plate appearance, making him the slowest to his first home run with the Indians since John McDonald needed 275 plate appearances to hit his first homer in 2002.
Diaz added an RBI triple in the bottom of the seventh to extend the Indians' lead to 9-2. He finished a double shy of the cycle, collecting a three-hit game with a walk.
Indians starting pitcher Mike Clevinger (11-7) cruised while protecting a six-run lead after the second inning. He finished with one earned run on three hits and a walk to go with 10 strikeouts in six innings. It was the fifth double-digit strikeout game for Clevinger both this season and in his career.
Both Adam Rosales and Brandon Barnes, who joined the club on Tuesday, made their 2018 Indians debuts, replacing Encarnacion at first base and Cabrera in right field, respectively.
