With just 10 games left, the Indians sit four games behind the Astros for the second AL Wild Card. They have to pass the Twins, Angels and Orioles to grab the final spot, meaning they must play at a fairly high clip and rely on some help.
"When Kip got his leadoff home run, it felt good just to be able to be on the scoreboard first and then we kind of stayed after them a bit, which was good," manager Terry Francona said.
The home run gave the Indians a jolt. After all, the Indians didn't score until they had two outs in the ninth in Wednesday's loss.