Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) – Endy Chavez had four hits, an RBI and two runs scored to lead the Texas Rangers to a 7-4 win over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field
Nelson Cruz added two doubles for the Rangers, who have won two straight and five of their last six.
Rangers reliever Michael Kirkman (1-0) tossed three innings to pick up the win after starter Dave Bush lasted only four frames. Bush gave up three runs on four hits while striking out three and walking one.
“You know, they scored so early that it gave us the chance to scratch and get back in it,” Texas manager Ron Washington said of his bullpen. “Kirkman came in and he did what we needed him to do, get us to the eighth inning. Then we got some two-out knocks.”
Matt LaPorta blasted his eighth home run of the season and Carlos Santana added two hits for the Indians, who had their momentum stopped after a 13-9 victory in Toronto on Wednesday.
Indians starter Carlos Carrasco (4-3) threw six innings in defeat, giving up six runs — five earned — on eight hits while walking two and striking out none.
Neftali Feliz tossed a scoreless ninth to pick up his 12th save of the season
Texas took the lead for good with three runs in the sixth. Cruz smashed his second double of the game to left-center with one out, advanced to third on a Mitch Moreland single to center and scored on Yorvit Torrealba’s sacrifice fly. Chavez followed by belting a triple to right to score Moreland and Texas collected its third run of the inning on a throwing error by the catcher Santana.
The Indians pulled to within two on LaPorta’s leadoff home run in the seventh inning to make it a 6-4 game.
Cleveland then threatened in the eighth. Shin-Soo Choo singled to lead off the inning, followed by a single from Santana to give the Indians two runners on with no outs. The Indians were unable to score, however, as Sizemore and pinch-hitter Shelly Duncan struck out and Orlando Cabrera grounded out to second.
The Rangers tacked on another run in the ninth on an error by Rafael Perez.
Cleveland struck first with three runs in the second inning. Santana led off with a walk and Grady Sizemore followed with a double off the left field wall. Travis Buck then ripped a single into right to score Santana. Cabrera followed and punched one up the middle, off the glove of shortstop Elvis Andrus to score Sizemore. After LaPorta struck out, Jack Hannahan grounded to short to score Buck and give Cleveland its early 3-0 lead.
“We didn’t swing the bats particularly well,” said Tribe manager Manny Acta. “We did have a three-run lead and I felt that would have given us a chance to get to the bullpen and win the game, but we just didn’t do the things we had been doing.”
The Rangers tied the game in the fifth. Cruz led off the inning with a double into the left-center gap, advanced to third on a ground out by Moreland and scored on a Torrealba ground out. Chavez then singled, Ian Kinsler drew a walk and Andrus slapped a ball up the middle to score Chavez. Josh Hamilton then singled to center to score Kinsler and tie the game at three.
Cleveland fell to 24-14 this season against right-handed pitchers…The Indians fell to 19-7 at Progressive Field this year…The Rangers have won 13 of the past 16 meetings with Cleveland…The Rangers improved to 11-6 against AL Central division opponents…Carrasco came to the Indians from Philadelphia in the Cliff Lee deal in July, 2009.