CLEVELAND _ Holding a one-run lead midway through Thursday night's game, Houston Astros reliever Chris Devenski carved through the Indians' lineup _ until he ran into Francisco Lindor.
Devenski, one of the top relievers in baseball, struck out five of the first nine hitters he faced and twice stranded the tying run in scoring position. But with a runner on first in the seventh inning, Lindor flipped the script and crushed the longest home run of his career to propel the Indians to a 4-3 win at Progressive Field.
Per MLB Statcast, Lindor's prodigious two-run shot that landed in the visitors' bullpen beyond center field had an estimated distance of 456 feet, the longest home run of his career. It was also his sixth home run of the season, which leads the club.
Devenski relieved Astros starting pitcher Mike Fiers in the fifth inning while holding a 3-2 lead. Lindor lined out to first base with Yan Gomes as the tying run on third base before Michael Brantley hit a flyout to center to end the inning.
In the sixth, Edwin Encarnacon reached on a two-base error by center fielder Josh Reddick with nobody out. Still, Devenski cruised through the inning, striking out the side. He recorded two more strikeouts in the seventh before Lindor got the best of him.
Encarnacion and Abraham Almonte each homered off Fiers, making all four runs for the Indians on Thursday night courtesy of home runs.
Starting pitcher Corey Kluber threw seven innings, allowed three earned runs on eight hits and struck out 10. It was the 25th double-digit strikeout game of his career and the first of his 2017 season.
Cody Allen in the ninth recorded his fifth save of the season in as many chances, aided by Gomes throwing out Jose Altuve as the potential game-tying run at second base for the first out of the inning. Josh Reddick and Carlos Beltran each followed with singles, putting the tying run on third with only one out.
Allen recovered to get Carlos Correa to pop out in foul territory before striking out Brian McCann to end the game.
