CLEVELAND -- For most of the season, the Cleveland Indians' offense has been dormant. Not Saturday night.

"It got contagious," manager Terry Francona after the Indians erupted for season highs in hits and runs in a 17-4 pounding of the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field.

Jerry Sands' pinch-grand slam capped a five-run fifth inning and the Indians also had two four-run innings and two two-run innings.

"We swung the bats so well, from top to bottom. Everyone had a lot of energy," Francona said. "I know it's only one game, but it's a heck of a lot better than losing."

Right-hander Trevor Bauer (9-8) pitched into the seventh inning to get the victory. But the Cleveland offense led the way to a rare win at home for the Indians.

Cleveland is 21-33 at Progressive Field, the fewest home victories in the majors.

Center fielder Abraham Almonte, recalled from Triple-A Columbus before the game, went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and two RBIs.

"Those were four pretty good swings," Francona said. "One game doesn't define a career, but we're looking for guys to be excited about, and if you can't be excited about that ... "

Second baseman Jose Ramirez and left fielder Michael Brantley each had three hits for the Indians, who collected 19 hits against seven Twins pitchers, the last of whom was outfielder Shane Robinson.

Sands' grand slam gave Cleveland a 13-3 lead after five innings. The Twins scored their fourth run in the sixth on a home run by left fielder Eddie Rosario.

All four of the Minnesota runs were the result of homers.

Rosario and first baseman Joe Mauer belted solo shots and catcher Kurt Suzuki hit a two-run homer for the slumping Twins, who have lost six of their last seven games.

Almonte's home run, a two-run shot, came off right-hander A.J. Achter in the eighth.

"This is a good chance for me to show what I can do and put myself in a better position," said Almonte, who was acquired in a trade with San Diego on July 31 in which the Indians sent left-hander Marc Rzepczynski to the Padres.

After Almonte's home run, Achter gave up two more hits and a walk, loading the bases with no outs and prompting Minnesota manager Paul Molitor to bring in Robinson from right field to get the last three outs of the inning.

"We tried to get through it without using a position player (to pitch), but we couldn't," Molitor said. "That's not a lot of fun. That's not what you want to do."

Robinson walked the first batter he faced, forcing in a run, but then retired the next three batters in order to end the inning.

"That was a tough situation for us," Molitor said.

Bauer, who came into the game with an 0-3 record and a 6.07 ERA in five career starts against Minnesota, pitched 6 1/3 innings, giving up four runs and seven hits with eight strikeouts and three walks.

The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Mauer belted his seventh home run of the season.

The Indians responded by scoring eight runs in the first three innings, all of them charged to right-hander Ervin Santana (2-3).

In 10 career starts at Progressive Field, Santana is 1-7 with a 6.62 ERA. The only win was a no-hitter in 2011.

RBI singles by Brantley and right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall in the bottom of the first gave Cleveland a 2-1 lead.

The Indians added two runs in the second on an RBI triple by Ramirez and a sacrifice fly by shortstop Francisco Lindor, giving Cleveland a 4-1 lead.

In the third, the Indians score four more times to make it 8-1. The big hit was a two-run double by Ramirez.

Santana was removed from the game after Ramirez's hit. In 2 1/3 innings, he gave up eight runs and 10 hits.

"Obviously, he wasn't locating his fastball and it seemed like they squared up every one he threw," Molitor said.

Suzuki's two-run homer in the fourth cut the Cleveland lead to 8-3.

But the Indians blew it open for good in the bottom of the fifth when designated hitter Yan Gomes drew a bases-loaded walk from Graham to make it 9-3. Sands then hit the grand slam over the right-field wall off right-hander Blaine Boyer to make it 13-3.

"To come off the bench and help the team like that, it's a good feeling," Sands said.

NOTES: The Indians recalled RHP Shawn Armstrong and OF Abraham Almonte from Triple-A Columbus. OF Tyler Holt was optioned to Columbus and RHP Cody Anderson was placed on the disabled list with a left oblique strain. ... INF Chris Johnson, acquired by the Indians from the Atlanta Braves in a trade on Friday, was in uniform for the first time on Saturday. ... Twins OF Eddie Rosario had two triples on Friday night, bringing his season total to eight. That's one shy of the team record for most triples by a rookie by Tony Oliva in 1964.