Rangers Beat Indians

CLEVELAND — The Texas Rangers checked all the boxes needed for a victory, and the score reflected it.

Elvis Andrus had three hits and Ian Desmond and Nomar Mazara homered as the Rangers rolled to a 9-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians Monday at Progressive Field.

The Rangers left nothing to chance. They scored nine runs, hit two home runs, got great pitching, and great defense, turning four double plays.

“It was a good win all the way around,” said Texas manager Jeff Banister. “We got on the board early, pitched well, and were able to take advantage of their mistakes.”

Derek Holland (4-4) allowed one run and six hits in six innings to get the win. He had been 0-3 with a 9.67 ERA in May and won for the first time since April 30.

Despite the lopsided score reliever Cesar Ramos pitched the last three innings to pick up his first save.

“The four double plays were a big key,” Banister said. “Anytime we were

in trouble our guy delivered a big pitch. It was a good team victory.”

Indians starter Josh Tomlin (7-1) came into the game undefeated in eight starts this season but the Rangers made quick work of him, scoring all of their runs in the first four innings.

“He was leaving his cutter up early, and they were able to tack on after that,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.

Holland, a native Ohioan from Newark, about a two-hour drive south of Cleveland, held the Indians scoreless on five hits through the first five innings. The only run allowed by Holland came on a home run by Mike Napoli in the sixth inning.

“Derek threw the ball very well. He kept his fastball down and in and his slider was very sharp, too,” Banister said.

“I’m home,” Holland said. “It’s great to be able to pitch in front of your family, and especially my grandmother. She doesn’t get to see me pitch very often but she was here tonight. It was nice to be able to pitch in front of her.”

Cleveland’s other run came on a home run by Marlon Byrd off Ramos in the seventh inning.

Texas blew the game open in the first four innings, scoring nine runs on 10 hits off Tomlin, who was charged with eight runs – six earned – and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings.

It only took the Rangers two batters to take the lead.

Jurickson Profar led off the game with a single and scored on a booming home run into the left field bleachers by Desmond.

“I’m just trying to do my job and produce some runs. When we score, we win,” Desmond said.

Texas made it 3-0 in the second inning.

Andrus singled, went to third on a double by Ryan Rua and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bryan Holaday.

The Rangers scored two more runs in the third and the Indians lost their manager. Adrian Beltre had an RBI single and then Francona was tossed.

After Tomlin recorded the second out, Mitch Moreland hit a dribbler down the first base line. Tomlin fielded it, threw to first, but the ball hit Moreland in the back and the right-hander was charged with an error while Desmond scored.

Francona argued Moreland should have been called out for running out of the baseline. Home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez disagreed, and Francona was tossed.

“The runner veered back into the baseline. It looked like he wanted to get in the way of the throw, which is why they put that rule in,” Francona said. “You want an out to be an out, but I never got an explanation why he wasn’t out.”

Andrus followed that with a single, scoring Beltre to extend the Texas lead to 5-0.

The Rangers piled on four more runs in the fourth, two coming on a mammoth 438-foot two-run home run by Mazara off reliever Austin Adams.

“That was a grownup home run,” Banister said.

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