The Sports Xchange
Jun 28, 2017
CLEVELAND -- Michael Brantley had two hits and two RBIs and Trevor Bauer pitched into the seventh inning as the Cleveland Indians beat the Texas Rangers 5-3 on Wednesday night at Progressive Field.
Bauer (7-6) worked 6 1/3 innings, giving up one run and four hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Texas starter Yu Darvish (6-6) pitched six innings, allowing three runs (two earned) and seven hits with six strikeouts and one walk.
Leading 3-1, Cleveland added two insurance runs in the seventh inning, which began with Bradley Zimmer and Roberto Perez drawing walks off reliever Ernesto Frieri.
Jason Kipnis moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, and Francisco Lindor was intentionally walked, loading the bases. Dario Alvarez relieved Frieri, and Alvarez was greeted by consecutive RBI singles from Brantley and Edwin Encarnacion to extend the Cleveland lead to 5-1.
Elvis Andrus' homer leading off the ninth inning against Cody Allen made it 5-2, and an RBI single by Rougned Odor cut it to 5-3. But Allen struck out Robinson Cirino to end the game.
Cleveland scored an unearned run in the first inning, which began with Rangers left fielder Nomar Mazara being charged with an error after failing to catch Kipnis' fly ball hit onto the warning track, allowing Kipnis to reach second base.
Lindor followed with a single to right field, scoring Kipnis with the first run of the game.
The Indians added two runs in the third inning. Kipnis led off with a walk and went to third on a single to center by Lindor. Michael Brantley followed with a single, scoring Kipnis and moving Lindor went to third. One out later, Jose Ramirez singled home Lindor, giving Cleveland a 3-0 lead.
Texas made it 3-1 in the fifth inning on a solo home run by Chirinos, who hit a 3-2 pitch from Bauer over the center field wall for his 12th home run of the season and second in as many nights, estimated at 430 feet.
NOTES: Indians manager Terry Francona was back in the dugout after missing Tuesday's game and part of Monday's game while briefly hospitalized with a rapid heart rate and dizziness. ... RHP Corey Kluber, who will start Thursday, has struck out 10 or more batters in three consecutive starts. That's one shy of the franchise record of four set by Bob Feller in his last three starts of 1938 and first start of 1939. ... Texas OF Carlos Gomez missed his second straight game with a back strain, suffered during Monday's game. ... Rangers RHP Andrew Cashner will be activated off the disabled list and start Thursday. Cashner has been on the DL since June 15 with a left oblique strain.