CLEVELAND -- Eight-run innings are a manager's best friend, and Terry Francona enjoyed the Cleveland Indians' third inning on Sunday at Progressive Field.

Francisco Lindor had two hits, including a home run and three RBIs, and Michael Brantley capped an eight-run third inning with a home run as the Indians routed the Seattle Mariners 12-4.

Abraham Almonte and Roberto Perez, Cleveland's Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, were a combined 6-for-8 with five RBIs. The Indians collected 15 hits overall in support of starter Josh Tomlin (2-3), who gave up four runs in five innings but got the win.

The Indians broke open a 1-1 game with that eight-run, six-hit third inning.

"We swung the bats well, were aggressive, and kept the line moving," Francona said.

Tomlin was also a beneficiary of the Indians' offensive explosion.

"That was huge," he said. "Especially for a guy like me who is prone to giving up the long ball. With a big lead like that, I can just concentrate on going out there and throwing strikes."

The manager in the other dugout didn't enjoy the eight-run inning as much as Francona did.

"It's a loss that hurts. We just didn't play well today," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "I thought we'd score some runs, but it didn't happen."

The Indians won two of the three games of the series, which concluded a 10-game road trip for Seattle. The Mariners went 4-6 on the trip.

"A win today would have given us a split on the trip, but it didn't happen," Servais said. "It's unfortunate to end the trip this way.

"It's still early in the season. We've been scuffling with some injuries, but I still like our team."

The Indians went 4-2 against Houston and Seattle in a homestand that ended with Sunday's win. The Indians (14-10) have their first winning April in five years.

"April is about surviving," Lindor said. "You don't want to fall too far behind. We're playing awesome, but there's still a long way to go."

Right-hander Chase De Jong (0-2) made his first major league start for the Mariners, and it didn't last long. He gave up six runs and nine hits in 2 2/ 3 innings.

"It's tough to make your first major league start against a team that was in the World Series the year before," Servais said of De Jong. "He hung in there for a couple innings but then it got a little crazy after that."

Lindor's solo home run in the first inning gave the Indians a 1-0 lead. Nelson Cruz tied the score with a home run in the second, but it was all Cleveland after that.

The Indians knocked De Jong out of the game with their eight-run third in which they sent 11 men to the plate. The big hits in that inning were a two-run double by Lindor and a two-run homer by Brantley.

Brantley's home run pushed the lead to 9-1.

Tomlin held Seattle to one run and four hits through the first five innings, but the Mariners knocked him out of the game in the sixth.

That inning began with six consecutive Seattle hits. Robinson Cano, Cruz and Kyle Seager all drove in runs in the inning. At that point, it was 9-4 with nobody out and the bases loaded.

"The final score looks one-sided, but it didn't feel like it in the sixth inning," Francona said.

But reliever Nick Goody struck out Taylor Motter, then got Carlos Ruiz to line into an inning-ending double play.

"Goody did a great job," Tomlin said. "One swing of the bat there, a grand slam, and it changes everything in a hurry."

The Indians scored three more runs in the seventh on an RBI single by Almonte and a two-run double by Perez.

NOTES: The Indians' last winning record in April was a 11-9 mark in 2012. Last year, they were 10-11 in April. ... RHP Trevor Bauer will start for the Indians on Monday in Detroit. In 12 career appearances vs. the Tigers, Bauer has a 7.24 ERA. ... Mariners DH Nelson Cruz had reached base in 18 consecutive games, hitting .406 (26-for-64), with seven home runs and 21 RBIs in that span. ... LHP James Paxton, who will start Tuesday against the Angels as the Mariners begin a six-game homestand, was 3-0 with a 1.39 ERA in five starts in April.