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CLEVELAND — Travis Hafner returned to Cleveland’s lineup and the Indians’ Derek Lowe got back in the win column.
Lowe won for the first time in more than a month as Cleveland pounded out 14 hits, including three-run homers by Michael Brantley and Casey Kotchman, to beat the Los Angeles Angels 12-3 Wednesday.
Hafner went 1 for 3 with two walks in his first game since having right knee surgery May 31.
Lowe (8-6) gave up three runs and 11 hits in six innings for his first win in six starts since June 1. The 39-year-old was 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA in five outings between victories.
“It’s great to see the guys get a lot of runs,” Lowe said. “Then it’s up to me not to walk guys and give it back.”
Michael Brantley hit a three-run homer in the first inning off Ervin Santana (4-9) and Casey Kotchman had a three-run shot in a six-run second as Cleveland took a 9-1 lead.
Johnny Damon had a season-high three of Cleveland’s 14 hits. The Indians totaled 21 runs in two wins after being shut out 3-0 in the series opener.
“We had a lot of quality at-bats and you could see Hafner’s effect right away,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “He just wore out Santana and then Brantley hit that homer.”
With two outs and Jason Kipnis on first with a walk, Hafner drew an 11-pitch walk. Brantley followed with his second homer for a 3-0 lead.
“Brantley got a good pitch to hit,” Damon said. “Certain players (Hafner) make others around them better.”
The Angels loaded the bases with no outs in the second, but scored only once.
ATHLETICS 3, RED SOX 2: In Oakland, Calif., Jemile Weeks hit a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh after Coco Crisp’s leadoff triple as the A’s earned a three-game sweep.
Red Sox slugger David Ortiz hit his 400th career home run and scored on Adrian Gonzalez’s sixth-inning single.
YANKEES 4, RAYS 3: In St. Petersburg, Fla., Robinson Cano hit a two-run single during a three-run eighth to lead New York.
Carlos Pena hit a two-run shot off Boone Logan (3-0) as the Rays went up 3-1 in the seventh. David Price threw seven strong innings for the Rays.
ORIOLES 4, MARINERS 2: In Seattle, Chris Tillman gave up just two hits in 8 1/3 innings in first start of 2012 and Adam Jones hit his 20th home run of the season for Baltimore. Tillman (1-0) took a one-hitter into the ninth, but Michael Saunders reached on an error and John Jaso’s one-out double on Tillman’s 125th pitch ended his day.
BLUE JAYS 4, ROYALS 1: In Toronto, Carlos Villanueva pitched six shutout innings and Yunel Escobar drove in two runs to lift the Blue Jays.
Every Blue Jays starter had at least one hit as Toronto won for the fourth time in six games. The Blue Jays are 6-1 against Kansas City this season and have won nine of the past 12 meetings dating to 2011.
