(Sports Network) - C.J. Wilson tries to get the Texas Rangers back on the winning track this evening when they resume their three-game series with the Cleveland Indians at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
Texas fell for the fourth time in its last five tries on Monday, as Jayson Nix recorded his second career multi-homer game, and the Indians scored in six straight innings to notch a 9-3 victory.
Nix, who now has 16 career home runs in parts of three seasons with three different clubs, last hit two homers in the same game on May 26, 2009 against the Angels while with the White Sox. Carlos Santana and Matt LaPorta each added a home run, as the Indians recorded a season-high with four in a game.
"It was a special night. It was great to be here at home, and to be able to do it front of (my family) was just special," said Nix, a Texas native.
LaPorta, though, left the game after suffering a head contusion following an accidental elbow from Texas' Elvis Andrus during a play in the fourth inning. A CT scan after the game came back negative, but he is questionable for tonight's affair.
Jason Donald finished with a career-high four hits, an RBI and a run scored, while Joe Smith (1-1) got the win after pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Aaron Laffey started and gave up two runs -- one earned -- on five hits and three walks in 4 1/3 frames -- throwing 101 pitches.
The Indians have now won seven of nine overall.
Ian Kinsler went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Rangers, who have scored three or fewer runs in five straight games -- a season-high. Omar Beltre (0-1) allowed four runs and four hits through three innings of his second career MLB start.
"Days like this -- they're going to come once in awhile," Andrus said. "We just have to come tomorrow and get the next two games and the series. It's nothing to worry about."
Wilson, meanwhile, has allowed two earned runs in each of his last five starts, but has just two wins to show for it in that time and was on the wrong end of a 2-1 decision his last time out on Wednesday in Anaheim. Wilson surrendered two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings to the Angels in that one, but absorbed the loss, falling to 6-4 on the year to go along with a 3.34 ERA.
This will be his second start against the Indians.
Cleveland will counter with righty Justin Masterson, who will be trying to follow up a terrific performance against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. Masterson surrendered a run and eight hits in 8 1/3 innings and improved to just 3-7 on the year, while lowering his ERA to 4.85.
Masterson will also be making his second-ever start against the Rangers, but lost to them in his other one back on April 14.
Texas took two of three from the Indians earlier in the year and has won 10 of the 13 meetings since the start of last season.