Rangers at Indians
Adrian Beltre missed nearly the first two months of the season due to injury, but he's quickly making up for lost time. The four-time All-Star has homered in three straight games to move into 39th place on the all-time list and hopes to keep the momentum going when the Texas Rangers continue their four-game set at the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday.
Beltre slammed home run No. 450 with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to lift the Rangers to a 2-1 victory on Tuesday, 24 hours after Texas blew a seven-run lead in the series opener. He has 13 RBIs over the past nine games and his second straight two-hit game put him within 31 of reaching 3,000 for his career. The Indians managed only three hits following their 15-run eruption in the series opener to fall to 1-4 on their seven-game homestand. Manager Terry Francona underwent a battery of tests and received a clean bill of health after leaving Monday's game and is expected back in the dugout Wednesday for Cleveland, which is 16-21 at Progressive Field.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Southwest (Texas), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Yu Darvish (6-5, 3.12 ERA) vs. Indians RH Trevor Bauer (6-6, 5.53)
Darvish rebounded from his worst start of the season with a masterful performance at Yankee Stadium, although he did not factor in the decision Friday despite tossing seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball and matching a season high with 10 strikeouts. He lasted only five innings in his previous turn versus Seattle, giving up five runs on eight hits. Edwin Encarnacion is 6-for-19 with two homers against Darvish.
Bauer won at Minnesota with seven innings of two-run ball on June 18, but he lost a rematch against the Twins five days later by giving up five runs (four earned) and eight hits over 6 2/3 frames. The 26-year-old has not factored in the decision in three starts against the Rangers while giving up 10 runs in 20 2/3 innings. Bauer has been able to keep Elvis Andrus (2-for-10) and Beltre (2-for-8) in check, however.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rangers OF Carlos Gomez was held out of the lineup Tuesday due to a sore back.
2. Indians LF Austin Jackson went on the disabled list with a left quad strain Tuesday and is expected to miss three to four weeks.
3. Texas DH Mike Napoli is 4-for-30 with 16 strikeouts over the past 10 games.