Indians 8, Twins 2 (1st): Yan Gomes homered and drove in three runs while Corey Kluber worked 8 1/3 strong innings as host Cleveland took the first game of a doubleheader from Minnesota.

Carlos Santana clubbed his team-leading 26th home run while Michael Brantley added two hits, a pair of RBIs and scored twice for the Indians. Kluber (15-9) overcame a rocky start to allow two runs on eight hits while fanning seven and Kyle Crockett got the last two outs after Kluber ran into a bit of trouble in the ninth.

Rookie Kennys Vargas and Trevor Plouffe tallied RBI singles in the first and ninth, respectively, while Vargas and Oswaldo Arcia finished with two hits apiece for the Twins. Kyle Gibson (11-11) saw his ERA over his last five starts balloon to 7.92 after getting pounded for a season high-tying seven runs in three frames.

Danny Santana doubled to lead off the game and scored on Vargas’ opposite-field hit to left, but Minnesota’s lead proved to be short-lived as Brantley drew a two-out walk and Santana blasted a 2-0 fastball into the second deck in right in the bottom half. Gomes opened the second by lifting a 1-2 slider to left-center for his 18th home run.

Cleveland chased Gibson with a four-run third as Brantley capped a stretch of three straight singles to begin the frame with an RBI hit before Gomes doubled home a pair and Lonnie Chisenhall followed with a sacrifice fly. Brantley tacked on some insurance in the sixth with a run-scoring single to score Michael Bourn for the second time.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Cleveland has scored more than three runs only three times its first 11 September games. … Gibson had yielded only nine home runs over 27 starts – spanning 156 innings – before surrendering one in each of the first two frames on Thursday. … The Indians’ rotation has posted a major league-low 2.21 ERA over the last 29 contests.