Indians improve MLB's best home record to 12-3

Indians 15, Twins 7

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Paul Byrd was grateful for the run support.

Byrd (3-1) won for the first time in three starts in May and the Cleveland Indians had two six-run innings in accumulating season highs in hits and runs in a 15-7 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.

"The offense totally picked us up," Byrd said after the Indians got 17 hits in their first game following a disappointing 4-6 trip to both coasts. "I gave up two, they came back with six and just didn't stop."

Jhonny Peralta homered and had four RBIs, Grady Sizemore had four hits, including a two-run homer, and Josh Barfield had three hits and three RBIs for the Indians.

Cleveland improved baseball's best home record to 12-3 in the opener of a seven-game homestand. The Indians play eight of their next 12 games against the AL Central, against whom they are 7-2 this season, including 3-0 against Minnesota.

Justin Morneau, in his second game since having his nose broken Saturday, hit two solo homers for Minnesota. It was his sixth career two-homer game. He did it May 8 against Chicago.

Michael Cuddyer had a two-run homer and Jason Kubel added a solo shot for the Twins, who came in with a league-low 23 homers in their first 37 games.

"We scored seven runs," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "When we score seven runs, we usually win."

Byrd (3-1) allowed five runs and seven hits over seven innings to improve to 7-3 in 13 career starts against the Twins. The right-hander struck out seven without a walk. He had no-decisions in his two previous starts, both 3-2 losses.

"I gave up three hard-hit balls and they scored five runs," Byrd said. "They're a good team and find a way to make something happen.

"I felt like I was pitching in Coors Field. The ball was really jumping."

Peralta's three-run homer, his eighth, keyed a six-run first off Ramon Ortiz (3-4).

After Cuddyer's fourth homer of the season put the Twins ahead 2-0 in the top half, Cleveland sent 11 men to bat against Ortiz, who lasted only one inning. The right-hander gave up six runs and seven hits in losing for the fourth time in five starts.

"I didn't make many good pitches," Ortiz said. "I feel good. My arm's good. I can't think about this game. I have to think about my next game."

Sizemore broke out of a 1-for-14 slump with a leadoff double and later singled in the inning. A sacrifice fly by Victor Martinez made it 2-1 and Peralta followed with a 408-foot shot to left-center for a 4-2 lead. Kelly Shoppach's two-run double made it 6-2.

"Grady got us started and the rest of the guys kept it going," Indians manager Eric Wedge said.

Sizemore's 4-for-5 night jumped his average 20 points to .259.

"I haven't been swinging like I want lately," Sizemore said. "I didn't try anything different. I just tried to keep it simple and get back in a groove. I hope it continues."

Peralta, Jason Michaels and Barfield added RBI singles off reliever Glen Perkins in the second to extend the lead to 9-2.

"Obviously, we got whacked tonight," Gardenhire said. "The starter didn't get through the first inning and it kept going from there."

Travis Hafner reached on an error and later scored on a sacrifice fly by David Dellucci in a six-run sixth against Jesse Crain. Barfield had a two-run double and scored on a single by Shoppach. Sizemore then hit his sixth homer for a 15-3 lead.

Morneau and Kubel connected off reliever Fernando Cabrera in the eighth, but the Twins lost for the ninth time in 12 games.

Game notes
Hafner walked three times and has an AL-leading 34. ... Ortiz is 0-4 with a 6.92 ERA in five starts after opening the season 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA. He came in 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA at Jacobs Field, his best career record at any ballpark. ... Garrett Jones, called up when the Twins designated RHP Sidney Ponson for assignment, made his major league debut as the DH and got his first hit, a seventh-inning single. ... Cleveland is 21-5 when scoring four or more runs.