Smoke signals

• The Indians are only the 12th team in baseball history to have at least 10 players with 10 or more home runs in a season. The 2004 Tigers are the only Major League team to have 11 such players in a single season. Players with at least 10 homers for Cleveland this season include Nick Swisher (21), Carlos Santana (19), Kipnis (17), Ryan Raburn (16), Mark Reynolds (15), Asdrubal Cabrera (14), Yan Gomes (11), Lonnie Chisenhall (11), Michael Brantley (10) and Drew Stubbs (10). Jason Giambi and Mike Aviles entered Saturday with nine homers apiece.

• Entering Saturday, the Indians had turned in a 22-win improvement over their showing in 2012. Francona is one of only 10 Major League managers (since 1969) to guide a team to an upgrade of at least 22 victories in his first season at the helm. Detroit's Jim Leyland was the last to accomplish the feat with a 24-win improvement in his first year with the Tigers in '06.

• Indians center fielder Michael Bourn, who missed the past three games with a sprained right wrist, returned to the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Twins. Bourn entered the afternoon batting .260 with six home runs, 21 doubles, five triples, 48 RBIs, 23 stolen bases and 73 runs through 128 games.

• Cleveland headed into Saturday's game in Minnesota with a 19-6 record in September. The Indians have only achieved 20 wins in September four times (1934, '37, '39 and '48) dating back to at least 1921. The Tribe's previous 20-win showing in any single month came in August of 1995 (21-9).

• Giambi went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and flyout in Saturday's game vs. the Twins before exiting due to a left forearm cramp. In the sixth inning, Chisenhall pinch-hit for Giambi, who is considered day to day with the injury.