CLEVELAND — Francisco Lindor hit a long two-run homer in the seventh inning to lift the Cleveland Indians over the Houston Astros 4-3 Thursday night.
Lindor’s 456-foot homer off Chris Devenski (1-1) landed in the visitors bullpen about 50 feet beyond the center field wall.
Corey Kluber (3-1) struck out 10 and allowed three runs in seven innings as the defending AL champs took two of three from the AL West leaders.
Edwin Encarnacion and Abraham Almonte also homered for Cleveland, which has won seven of nine.
Marwin Gonzalez homered, and Evan Gattis and Alex Bregman each had an RBI single for the Astros, who have the second-best record in the AL.
Cody Allen pitched out of a ninth-inning jam for his fifth save and second of the series.
Jose Altuve, held out of the lineup for the second straight game after being injured in an outfield collision Tuesday, had a pinch-single in the ninth but was thrown out trying to steal second.
Josh Reddick then singled and took third on Carlos Beltran’s pinch-single, but Carlos Correa fouled out and Brian McCann struck out.
Yan Gomes drew a one-out walk in the seventh. Devenski struck out Carlos Santana before Lindor sent a 2-0 pitch to center for his sixth home run of the season.
Kluber, who pitched a three-hit shutout against the White Sox in his last start, held Houston scoreless after the third. The right-hander allowed eight hits and walked four.
The teams traded solo home runs in the second. Gonzalez put Houston ahead with a line drive to dead center before Encarnacion tied it with a drive into the left field bleachers.
Encarnacion’s homer was his fourth of the season and first at Progressive Field since signing a $60 million, three-year contract in January.
Houston used four hits and a walk to score twice in the third. Gattis’ single broke the tie before Bregman’s single gave the Astros a 3-1 lead.
Trainer’s room
Astros: OF George Springer (strained left hamstring) was held out of the lineup for the fourth straight game. He served as a defensive replacement Tuesday and remains available for late-inning duties.
Up next
Astros: RHP Charlie Morton starts the opener of a three-game series with Oakland. The 10-year veteran has never pitched against the Athletics.
Indians: RHP Carlos Carrasco, who has the sixth-lowest ERA in the AL at 1.65, takes on Seattle in the first game of a three-game series.
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