Encarnacion hits three homers against Texas

Edwin Encarnacion homered three times and drove in six runs, helping Corey Kluber and the Cleveland Indians beat the Texas Rangers, 12-4, in American League baseball action Wednesday afternoon.

Encarnacion hit a three-homer in the first, a two-run shot in the second and a solo drive in the eighth.

The designated hitter leads the team with nine homers despite a .191 batting average.

Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor also connected in Cleveland’s highest scoring game of the season. Kipnis’s three-run shot in the second was his first of the season.

Kluber (5-1) allowed three solo homers in seven innings in his fifth straight win. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner struck out six and walked none. Rangers starter Matt Moore (1-4) allowed a career-high 10 runs in four innings, including three homers.

The left-hander gave up 11 hits and walked two while throwing 94 pitches.

Each team used nine relievers over the series’ first two games, leaving both bullpens overworked.

The Indians got four in the first and five in the second. Michael Brantley hit an RBI single in the first before Encarnacion drove a 1-0 pitch into the bleachers in left for his seventh of the season.

After Kipnis went deep, Lindor singled and Encarnacion made it 9-1 with a two-out drive to centre. Joey Gallo, Nomar Mazara and Juan Centeno homered for

Texas.