CLEVELAND -- Second baseman Jason Kipnis launched his first home run of the season and collected four RBIs, helping power the Indians to a 7-5 victory over the Royals on Wednesday night at Progressive Field.

On the one-year anniversary of an oblique injury that plagued his offensive production last season, Kipnis belted a three-run homer off Kansas City starter Yordano Ventura in the third inning and added a run-scoring groundout in the sixth. The four RBIs matched a career high for Kipnis, who recently moved into the leadoff spot for the Tribe.

“[Kipnis] took a gorgeous swing,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “And we really needed that. Then it was nice, after we give the lead back, we come right back. That’s a good way [to win] -- [it] gives you a little extra energy.”

Ventura (2-2) -- pitching while appealing a seven-game suspension from Major League Baseball for an incident with the White Sox in his last start -- was charged with five runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. Beyond Kipnis’ homer, Ventura also allowed two runs within Cleveland’s three-run sixth inning. Royals reliever Ryan Madson also gave up a solo homer to Roberto Perez (3-for-3 on the day) in the eighth.

“I thought he pitched well, but he just made a couple of pitches that caught too much of the plate,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Indians starter Danny Salazar improved to 3-0 after giving up four runs on six hits in six innings, in which he struck out seven and walked none. Salazar surrendered a two-run single to Kendrys Morales in the first inning and later yielded an opposite-field, two-run home run to Eric Hosmer in the sixth.