The Cleveland Indians were no match for a dominant Texas offense on Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field as the visiting Rangers racked up 15 hits in a 8-3 victory over Manny Acta's sinking club.
After two straight scoreless innings to open the game, Cleveland starter Zach McAllister was roughed up for seven runs over the next three frames. In addition to watching his earned-run average grow all the way to 4.26, the first time since May it has been above four runs, McAllister also served up three solo home runs in the fifth inning alone after never yielding that many during a single start all season.
Indians catcher Carlos Santana chipped in his 14th home run of the season despite the loss, and finished off the brief series with five hits in just 12 at-bats. Also making a contribution in his first career MLB game was Indians outfield prospect Thomas Neal, who finished 1-for-4 with an RBI double in the eighth. Neal hit a robust .314 in Double-A this season and figures to get a serious look down the stretch in the middle of Acta's lineup.
Next up for the Indians is an ill-timed 10-game road trip that starts Monday afternoon in Detroit against the Tigers. Winless right-hander Corey Kluber will take the mound for Cleveland hoping to get the series started on the right track.
Be sure to visit Let's Go Tribe for more on the Indians, and check out Lone Star Ball for more Rangers news. Also head over to Baseball Nation for even more coverage from around the league.