MINNEAPOLIS -- Edwin Encarnacion is starting to look like the slugger he'd shown for years in Toronto and he's producing in the middle of the Cleveland lineup as the Indians try to chase down the Minnesota Twins.

Encarnacion homered for the second straight game, hitting a three-run shot to the second deck in left field, and Jose Ramirez had three hits for Cleveland in an 8-1 win against Minnesota on Friday night.

Carlos Carrasco (7-3) cruised through five innings before some late trouble, but the right-hander left after 6 1/3 innings and gave up one run on four hits as Cleveland climbed within a game back of the American League Central-leading Twins.

"He's probably pretty damn close to where he was last year," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Encarnacion. "He had a really slow start, but that slow start's over."

In his first season in Cleveland, Encarnacion hit .200 with four homers in 24 April games. He's become the big slugger in the heart of the order the Indians believed they were signing in the offseason and hit .337 (30-for-89) with nine homers and 19 RBIs in his last 25 games.

Encarnacion gave Carrasco all of the support he would need with a big blast in the third. Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor reached on walks and Encarnacion hammered the first pitch he saw from rookie starter Nik Turley to the second deck in left-center field, an estimated 435 feet.

"If you get something straight that's over the plate you always want to be ready to hit," Francona said. "Edwin, that's kind of how you envision it, where with one swing you can kind of spread a game out. He certainly has been showing like he's got that in him, so that's been really, really good."

Turley (0-1) surrendered eight runs on nine hits and four walks in his second major league start for the Twins.

"You can't defend walk, walk, homer," Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. "That's what's going to get you. He had a chance to keep us in the game there even after the Encarnacion homer and got two outs there in the fifth, and again, things kind of got away from him there."

Cleveland added four more runs in the fifth off Turley, with a two-run single by Yan Gomes and a two-run double from Lonnie Chisenhall.

"Got two pretty quick outs and then things just started snowballing," Turley said of the fifth. "Started trying to do a little too much instead of sticking with my game plan and staying within myself. There were a lot of emotions going on. It was just hard to control."

Carrasco hasn't fared well against Minnesota in his career (2-6, 4.76 ERA), but he was in control from the beginning on Friday. He struck out two batters in the first and allowed just one hit and two walks through his first five innings.

Eddie Rosario homered for the only run off Carrasco to start the sixth inning. Brian Dozier and Miguel Sano added singles but Carrasco struck out Max Kepler to strand two runners. Carrasco finished with seven strikeouts.

"Those guys went out there and got some runs, so the only thing we had to do as a pitching staff is come in there and throw up zeroes on the board," Carrasco said. "That's what we try to do every game. That's what we're here for."

NOTES: Cleveland OF Brandon Guyer (left wrist sprain) was scheduled to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus. ... Minnesota LHP Hector Santiago (left shoulder strain) will throw another bullpen session on Saturday after coming out well from Thursday's 31-pitch sessions. The team will decide whether to send Santiago on a rehab assignment after Saturday's session. ... The Twins signed OF Brent Rooker, their second draft pick chosen 35th overall this week out of Mississippi State. Rooker, who won the Triple Crown in the Southeastern Conference with a .387 average, 23 homers and 48 RBIs in 67 games, will report to Rookie League Elizabethton. ... The two teams decided on their starters for Saturday's split doubleheader. Cleveland will recall LHP Ryan Merritt and RHP Mike Clevinger. Merritt will start the first game. Clevinger will serve as the team's 26th man for the doubleheader. Minnesota will counter with LHP Adam Wilk pitching the first game and LHP Adalberto Mejia in the nightcap.