Advertisement

Corey Kluber strikes out 12 as Cleveland Indians top Texas Rangers

By Jim Ingraham, The Sports Xchange
Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber fanned 12 in a win over the Texas Rangers on Thursday. Photo by David Tulis/UPI
Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber fanned 12 in a win over the Texas Rangers on Thursday. Photo by David Tulis/UPI | License Photo

CLEVELAND -- Corey Kluber struck out 12 in eight innings and Lonnie Chisenhall had a pinch-hit, two-run double to lead the Cleveland Indians to a 5-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday afternoon at Progressive Field.

Kluber (7-2) reached double figures in strikeouts for the fourth consecutive start, tying the Indians' record set by Bob Feller in 1939. He also allowed one run on three hits and walked one batter in the win.

Advertisement

Texas starter Andrew Cashner (3-7) gave up five runs on six hits in five innings to take the loss.

The Indians won three of the four games in their series with the Rangers.

Kluber struck out the first two batters in the first inning, but Nomar Mazara pounded an 0-2 pitch over the wall in right field for his 11th home run. It was the Rangers' only run of the game.

Cleveland rallied for two runs in the third inning. Yan Gomes led off the inning with a single, and he went to second when Bradley Zimmer beat out a high chopper to second for an infield single. The runners moved to second and third on a wild pitch by Cashner.

Advertisement

Gomes scored on a groundout by Francisco Lindor, and Zimmer scored on another wild pitch by Cashner, giving Cleveland a 2-1 lead.

The Indians widened their lead in the sixth inning, knocking Cashner out of the game in the process. Michael Brantley led off the inning with a double into the right field corner. Edwin Encarnacion singled to right, scoring Brantley to push the lead to 3-1.

Encarnacion shattered his bat on his hit. The barrel sailed out to the mound and hit Cashner on the right forearm, causing him to fall to the ground. Casher remained in the game, but exited after giving up a double to the next hitter, Jose Ramirez,

Cashner sustained a contusion on his forearm, and was taken for precautionary X-rays.

Nick Martinez relieved Cashner, and Chisenhall greeted him with a double down the right field line, scoring Encarnacion and Ramirez to make it 5-1.

As a pinch hitter this year, Chisenhall is 4-for-14, with two home runs and nine RBIs. The nine pinch-hit RBIs lead the American League.

NOTES: Indians C Yan Gomes has thrown out a major league-best 46 percent of attempted base stealers (16-of-35). ... Indians RHP Josh Tomlin, who will start against the Tigers in Detroit on Friday, leads the American League with an average of 1.0 walks per nine innings. Tomlin's mark of 1.03 last year is the second lowest in Indians' history. ... Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre, with 450 career home runs, needs four more to pass Carl Yastrzemski (452) and Miguel Cabrera (453) into 37th place on the all-time list. ... Texas hitters have struck out 272 times in June, the second most for that month in American League history, behind Houston's 278 in June of 2015.

Advertisement

Latest Headlines