Cleveland @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 6, 2014 ) Cleveland 4, Texas 6

The Texas Rangers are winners of back-to-back games thanks to some improved production from the bottom of the order. The Rangers will try to ride Michael Choice, Rougned Odor and company to a third straight triumph when they host the Cleveland Indians in the second of a four-game set on Saturday. The Indians have their own hot players in Asdrubal Cabrera and Lonnie Chisenhall but had their six-game winning streak come to an end Friday.

Odor and Choice each homered and combined for four RBIs out of the bottom two spots in the order in Friday’s 6-4 triumph, a day after combining to go 3-for-6 with three runs, a homer (by Choice) and two RBIs in Thursday’s win over Baltimore. The two rookies struggled to get much done at the plate while Texas was dropping four of five prior to the last two contests. The Indians opened a 10-game road trip on Friday and fell to an American League-worst 9-20 away from home with the loss.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FS1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Josh Tomlin (3-2, 3.06 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Nick Tepesch (2-1, 4.43)

Tomlin has yet to allow more than three earned runs in a start but is struggling to go deep into games. The 29-year-old tossed his season high of 6 2/3 innings his first time out on May 6 but has not completed six frames in any of his last three turns. Tomlin, who missed most of last season following surgery, is making just his second career appearance against Texas.

Tepesch was rocked for five runs – four earned – on seven hits in just two innings to suffer a loss at Washington last Saturday. The 25-year-old surrendered a pair of home runs in that outing and walked two while snapping a two-start winning streak. Tepesch made one start against Cleveland in his 2013 rookie campaign and yielded five runs on eight hits in five innings to absorb the loss.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rangers SS Elvis Endrus has hit safely in all 38 career games against the Indians, tied for the second-longest streak against a single opponent since 1914.

2. Cabrera is 5-for-10 with two home runs, five runs scored and four RBIs in the last two games.

3. Rangers closer Joakim Soria has put together five straight scoreless appearances, striking out eight without walking a batter in that span.

PREDICTION: Rangers 5, Indians 3