CLEVELAND — Everyone joined the party for the Indians on Tuesday night at Progressive Field.
Cleveland got a quality effort from its pitching staff and a power-packed performance from its offense, all of it adding up to a 9-4 victory over the Royals that snapped a three-game losing skid for the first-place Indians.
While one negative streak ended, a positive one continued for Cleveland, which won its eighth straight game at home, accounting for the longest such streak since 2007.
Another strong start for Justin Masterson, five home runs to support him and a big-time appearance from reliever Vinnie Pestano made it all possible.
“That’s the way it’s meant to be,” manager Manny Acta said. “We’re not hiding the fact that if we’re going to continue this, we need everybody to contribute.
“We’re a better club than last year, but we don’t have that depth. We need everybody on full cylinder.”
Masterson wasn’t as effective as he has been, but was good enough to earn his fifth win in as many starts this season. The five wins are the second-most in the majors behind the Angels’ Jered Weaver (6).
The right-hander allowed three runs on five hits, striking out seven over 6 2/3 innings.
It was no surprise that Masterson was on the mound to stop a slide, with four of his five wins this season coming after a Cleveland loss.
“He does have the right mentality,” Acta said of Masterson’s skid-stopping ability. “He’s a guy that takes things in stride and it helps him.”
“That’s what you have to do,” said Masterson, who didn’t win his fifth game until Aug. 26 of last year in his 26th start. “In order to stay successful, you have to stay where you’re at. You just have to keep it even-keeled as you go.”
Masterson stayed even-keeled despite squandering a two-run lead after three innings, then waited for the power to arrive in the fifth.
With the game tied at two, Matt LaPorta and Jack Hannahan hit back-to-back homers off Royals starter Luke Hochevar that put the Indians in front for good.
Hannahan, who is off to a shocking offensive start (.286 with a team-leading four homers and 11 RBIs in 18 games) also went deep in the third.
Hochevar, who was perfect through five innings before imploding in the sixth in his last start (against Cleveland), crumbled again, allowing three of the five homers and six runs on 11 hits over 6 1/3 innings.
But Shin-Soo Choo’s three-run shot in the seventh off reliever Louis Coleman was the biggest blow, putting the Indians in front 7-3.
Grady Sizemore hit the Indians’ final homer, a two-run shot in the eighth off Tim Collins.
Sizemore added a pair of doubles to another productive night for Cleveland’s center fielder and leadoff hitter, who has flourished since leaving the disabled list.
“It’s been good,” said Sizemore, whose double in the first made him the first player in franchise history to accumulate at least 200 doubles, 100 homers and 100 stolen bases during his Cleveland career. “Obviously it’s still early. I’m happy with the way things have gone so far.”
There were few tense moments for the Indians, but one arrived in the eighth inning, with Tony Sipp leaving the bases loaded and no outs for Pestano, who was called on to preserve a four-run lead.
Pestano, who began the season as a member of a big league bullpen for the first time in his career, looked like a seasoned relief veteran, emerging from the scrape without a run crossing the plate.
The right-hander induced Billy Butler into a pop-out before striking out Jeff Francouer and retiring Kila Ka’aihue on another popup.
“Vinnie Pestano pretty much saved the day for us,” Acta said.
Indians fans are still slow to embrace their surprising team, which owns a 2 1/2-game lead in the Central Division standings.
A crowd of just 9,650 fans were at Progressive Field, while Cleveland’s minor league hockey team, the Lake Erie Monsters, outdrew the Indians with 10,277 fans attending their Game 7 playoff game at Quicken Loans Arena.
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Fan him on Twitter and Facebook.
