The Rangers could not cool off the scorching hot temperatures in the heart of Texas, but they finally cooled off the potent bats of the Cleveland Indians in Sunday’s 5-0 series finale from Globe Life Park.
On a day with temperatures reaching 108 degrees, the Rangers finally slowed down the Tribe on a day with first pitch temperatures of 102 degrees that only climbed in the heat and baking sun of an uncomfortable Texas afternoon. Rangers starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo lasted a season-high six innings and combined with three relievers to cool off an Indians lineup that had tallied 25 runs through the first two games of the weekend set.
The silenced Indians bats spoiled a good start from right-hander Mike Clevinger, who fell to 7-6 on the year despite making a quality start. He allowed just two runs – single touches of the scoreboard in the third and fifth innings – before the Rangers would explode for three more key insurance runs off of the Cleveland bullpen in the eighth in their final trip to the plate.
Gallardo survived some early trouble and was aided by a pair of double plays to get him through six innings. Cleveland threatened in its first trip as two men reached on a one-out double from Michael Brantley and a two-out walk by Yonder Alonso, but with two on, Melky Cabrera struck out looking to end the inning.
Clevinger stranded a runner in the home half. Rougned Odor singled with one down and stole second as three-hitter Elvis Andrus struck out swinging. With a runner in scoring position, Jurickson Profar flied to left.
The Indians had a chance again in the second, but could not deliver. Jason Kipnis walked with one out, but he was thrown out trying to get to third on a single to right by Yan Gomes. Tyler Naquin grounded out to end the inning.
Clevinger ended the second with a double play ball, but Gallardo followed suit with one of his own to end the third. Francisco Lindor reached safely on an error at third by Profar. Brantley flied out before a walk by Jose Ramirez put a pair on base. With their second big scoring opportunity, Alonso grounded into a 1-6-3 double play to kill the rally.
The Rangers would be far luckier in the third as Clevinger lost the strike zone. Delino DeShields walked on six pitches and stole second base before Shin-Soo Choo started a new on-base streak with a walk on a 3-2 pitch. Odor slapped a changeup through the right side to drive in the speedy DeShields from second to make it a 1-0 game before Clevinger struck out Andrus for the second out. Profar reached on an infield single to load the bases, but with his back against the wall, Clevinger struck out his second batter of the inning, retiring Ronald Guzman swinging to leave the ducks on the pond.
Gallardo gave up a leadoff single to Cabrera to start the fourth, but the inning would end two batters later as Kipnis lined into a double play to right.
Another walk to the ninth hitter DeShields would cost Clevinger in the fifth. He stole second base for the second straight plate appearance and moved to third on a groundout by Choo. Odor contributed his second RBI of the day, lofting a sacrifice fly to center to make it a 2-0 game.
Gallardo worked around a walk of Ramirez with one out in the sixth in his final inning of work. Jose Leclerc did similar, stranding Yandy Diaz in the seventh after his leadoff single. Clevinger pitched a perfect sixth himself and gave up a single to Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the seventh before getting two outs. Oliver Perez was summoned for the final out and retired Choo on a grounder to first.
Jake Diekman had a tough time with the Tribe in the top of the eighth in the 2-0 game. Lindor led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a groundout by Brantley. Ramirez was hit by a pitch before Alonso popped out to short for the second out. Cabrera worked a walk on four straight pitches to load the bases, but Diaz failed to come through with the tying runs in scoring position as he struck out swinging on a 3-2 slider out of the zone.
The Rangers made the Indians pay for their failed inning by breaking the game open against the Tribe bullpen. Odor homered to start the inning against Perez, bringing manager Terry Francona back to the mound for reliever Neil Ramirez. He gave up an infield single to Andrus, who promptly stole second and moved to third on a grounder to first. Guzman struck out for the second out before Ryan Rua sent a two-out, two-run shot to left-center to make it a 5-0 game.
With the bigger lead, Cory Gearrin came to the mound to get three outs and did so quickly, getting Kipnis to ground to short, Gomes to fly to left, and Naquin to ground to short to end it.
The Rangers moved to 42-58 on the season with their 20th home win of the season. The Indians fell to 54-44 with their first loss of the second half, but maintained their nine and a half game lead over the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.
COMMAND ESCAPES CLEVINGER
Clevinger allowed just four hits on the hot afternoon, but it would be his four walks that would hurt him the most. Both runs that he allowed in his six and two-thirds innings of work came courtesy of walks to the nine-man, DeShields. He struck out seven.
“I walked the nine-hole hitter twice and that’s just really, really bad baseball,” said Clevinger after his start. “It’s just not acceptable, no matter what the score of the game is.”
GALLARDO GETS HELP
Like his counterpart, Gallardo put four runners on base via walk as he had a tough time finding the strike zone consistently, but he was at best effectively wild. He allowed only three hits in six innings and minimized the damage that could have been caused by his four free passes. He struck out just one, throwing 40 strikes and 32 balls in his quality start while improving to 4-1 on the year.
NOTICE THAT ODOR
It would be the big day at the plate that would power the Rangers. The Texas second baseman went 3-for-3 at the plate with his seventh homer of the season and a pair of singles. He drove in three runs and scored once on the afternoon, making up for the three-strikeout day of Andrus behind him.
NEXT UP
The Indians will return home to Cleveland and Progressive Field, but it will be a short stay beginning Monday night as they kick off a brief three-game homestand with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Rangers will stay put in Arlington to host the Oakland Athletics.
Photo: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
