Indians' bats rip apart Twins

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Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - With one big swing of the bat, Jason Kipnis led the struggling Cleveland Indians to a 7-1 win over the Minnesota Twins in the first of a three-game series.

Kipnis' fourth-inning grand slam gave the Indians, who had lost five of their previous six games, a 7-0 lead, from which Cleveland would never look back.

Lonnie Chisenhall crushed a second-inning home run for the Tribe. Cleveland outhit the Twins 14-6.

Derek Lowe (7-3) shut down the Twins for most of the night, allowing one run on five hits in 6 2/3 innings.

The Indians chased Carl Pavano (2-5) from the game after 3 2/3 frames, getting all seven of their runs -- six earned -- off the right-hander.

After Johnny Damon grounded out to start the fourth, Chisenhall singled, Lou Marson walked and Shin-Soo Choo singled to load the bases for Kipnis. On the first pitch, Kipnis sent Pavano's high changeup over the right-center field fence to break the game open.

After Chisenhall gave Cleveland an early lead, the Indians added an unearned run in the third. Choo led off the inning with a base hit, then, after Pavano retired Kipnis and Asdrubal Cabrera, Twins third baseman Jamey Carroll kept the inning alive with a two-out throwing error. Michael Brantley took advantage of the mistake and lined an RBI double off the left-field wall to give Cleveland a 3-0 lead.

Lowe cruised early on, giving up only two hits over the first six frames. He ran into some trouble in the seventh when he allowed three hits and the Twins' lone run, but Nick Hagadone entered and ended Minnesota's rally.

After Hagadone pitched a scoreless eighth, Jeremy Accardo pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to seal the win.

Tags: minnesota sports, proam, twins, baseball