Cleveland, OH - Jhonny Peralta hit a three-run and a two- run home run as the Cleveland Indians pounded the Minnesota Twins, 10-4, in the opener of a three-game set at Jacobs Field.
Josh Barfield went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored while newly- acquired Kenny Lofton finished 3-for-5 with an RBI for the Indians, who had lost three of four coming into the game.
Paul Byrd (9-4) got the win as he gave up four runs on 10 hits in seven-plus innings of work.
Before the game, the Indians brought in fan favorite outfielder Lofton in a trade with the Texas Rangers. The Indians sent minor league catcher Max Ramirez to the Rangers in exchange for the 40-year-old Lofton, who returns for his third stint with the Tribe. Lofton spent the most productive years of his big league career with the Indians. After being dealt from Houston to Cleveland before the 1992 season, Lofton played nine of the next 10 years with the Indians.
Jason Kubel hit a two-run home run while Justin Morneau went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for the Twins, who have lost a season-high five straight games.
Boof Bonser (5-7) dropped his fifth straight decision as he gave up six runs — four earned — on nine hits in just 2 2/3 innings of work, his shortest outing of the season.
The Indians took advantage of a couple of Minnesota errors in the third inning to take a 6-0 lead. Barfield led off the inning by reached first thanks to Brian Buscher throwing the ball to first too high. Grady Sizemore then walked and Lofton loaded the bases with a bunt single. Victor Martinez then hit a grounder to short and Nick Punto rushed the throw and the ball went wide, allowing Barfield and Sizemore to score. Travis Hafner then singled to put runners at the corners and Peralta followed with a homer over the left- center wall.
Casey Blake and Trot Nixon then followed with singles and, after Kelly Shoppach grounded into a fielder’s choice, Barfield singled to score Blake.
Cleveland plated another two runs in the fifth for an 8-0 lead. Nixon led off with a double and, after Shoppach struck out, Barfield hit a double off the wall in right-center to score Nixon. Lofton later hit a single to left to score Barfield.
Peralta blasted his second home run of the game, a two-run shot over the center field wall in the sixth for a 10-0 lead.
Minnesota finally got on the board in the seventh as Morneau led off with a single and, two batters later, Jason Kubel belted a shot over the right field wall to make it a 10-2 game.
Morneau added a sacrifice fly and Jason Tyner scored on a wild pitch in the eighth inning to cut the Twins’ deficit to 10-4, but that was as close as they got.
