Rangers 10, Indians 8
CLEVELAND -- The Texas Rangers belted three home runs and got excellent work from their bullpen to beat the Cleveland Indians 10-8 at Progressive Field on Monday.
The win extended Texas’ winning streak to six games while Cleveland’s six-game winning streak was halted.
Right-hander Tanner Scheppers (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to get the win. Left-hander Marc Rzepczynski (1-2) took the loss. Right-hander Shawn Tolleson pitched the ninth to pick up his fourth save.
Neither starter was around very long. Cleveland right-hander Shaun Marcum lasted just 2 2/3 innings, giving up seven runs on four hits, with six strikeouts and three walks. Texas right-hander Phil Klein pitched two innings, giving up seven runs (six earned) on six hits, with two strikeouts and two walks.
The Rangers scored three runs in the first inning after Marcum walked right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, the second batter of the game, on four pitches. Designated hitter Prince Fielder blasted a mammoth two-run home run into the bullpens in center field, a drive estimated at 422 feet. Third baseman Adrian Beltre followed with a solo home run to left to make it 3-0.
Cleveland got a run back in the bottom of the first when first baseman Carlos Santana belted a long solo home run to right field, a drive estimated at 455 feet.
Cleveland scored four runs in the second inning to take a 5-3 lead. Designated hitter David Murphy led off the inning by reaching first on an error by first baseman Mitch Moreland. Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall struck out, but shortstop Jose Ramirez drew a walk.
Catcher Roberto Perez then hit an opposite-field, three-run homer over the wall in right field. Center fielder Michael Bourn followed with a double and scored on a double by second baseman Jason Kipnis.
Marcum struck out the side in order in the second inning, but he never got out of the third. With two outs and nobody on base in the Texas third, Fielder doubled and Beltre was intentionally walked. Left fielder Josh Hamilton drew another walk from Marcum, loading the bases.
Moreland followed with a single to center, scoring Fielder and Beltre, moving Hamilton to third and tying the game at 5-5. Right-hander Ryan Webb relieved Marcum; and, after Moreland stole second, shortstop Elvis Andrus doubled to left field, scoring Hamilton and Moreland and giving the Rangers a 7-5 lead.
In the bottom of the third, Murphy singled and went to third on a double by Chisenhall. Left-hander Alex Claudio relieved Klein and got Ramirez to ground out, although Murphy scored on the play to cut the Texas lead to 7-6. Chisenhall went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bourn to tie it at 7-7.
Left fielder Michael Brantley’s RBI double in the sixth inning gave the Indians an 8-7 lead, but the Rangers countered with two runs in the seventh to retake the lead, thanks to throwing errors by two Cleveland pitchers.
Center fielder Delino DeShields singled and went to second on an error by Rzepczynski on a pickoff attempt. Right-hander Zach McAllister relieved Rzepczynski and retired Choo on a groundout. Fielder singled to left field, scoring DeShields with the tying run.
Beltre singled, moving Fielder to second. Hamilton hit a grounder back to the mound, but McAllister threw wildly to first for an error, allowing Fielder to score, giving Texas a 9-8 lead.
In the eighth inning, Andrus homered to left field to make it 10-8.
NOTES: OF Josh Hamilton was activated off the disabled list and made his 2014 debut with the Rangers, batting fifth and playing left field. He went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. ... To make room on the roster for Hamilton, the Rangers placed RHP Neftali Feliz on the DL with an abscess on his right side. ... Indians OF David Murphy, who spent seven years with Texas, has a .485 batting average (16-33) with six doubles, one home runs and eight RBIs in nine games against the Rangers. ... 2B Jason Kipnis has played in all 380 innings the Indians have played this season.