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Indians rally in ninth to beat Rangers

Aug 7, 2011 - 5:29 AM Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Michael Brantley ripped a go-ahead, RBI double in the top of the ninth and the Cleveland Indians held on for a 7-5 victory over the Texas Rangers.

The Indians trailed 4-3 entering the ninth, but Kosuke Fukudome led off with a double and scored on Lonnie Chisenhall's single. With two down, Brantley worked the count full before belting the ninth pitch of the at bat into right. Jason Kipnis followed with a two-run homer.

"Chisenhall, I thought we had him," said Rangers manager Ron Washington. "He fought through that at bat and kept his hands in and got a base hit. Brantley definitely fought through the at bat that he had."

The Rangers, who opened the three-game series with an 11th-inning walk-off win on Friday, grabbed the lead with a four-run seventh. Ian Kinsler slapped a two-run single and Josh Hamilton capped the inning with a go-ahead sac fly.

Neftali Feliz (1-3) allowed three runs in the ninth to suffer the loss.

Elvis Andrus pushed one across in the bottom of the ninth and the Rangers placed runners at second and third later in the frame, but Chris Perez induced Michael Young into a game-ending groundout to earn his 23rd save of the season.

Frank Herrmann (2-0) pitched a scoreless eighth to earn the win.

The wild finish belied the game's controlled start.

Both C.J Wilson and Fausto Carmona carried three-hit shutouts through six, but the seventh saw the game take a drastic turn.

The Indians pushed the first run across on a Fukudome single and subsequent double by Shelley Duncan. Pinch-runner Ezequiel Carrera advanced to third on a Chisenhall groundout and, following a Lou Marson walk, Wilson was pulled.

Darren Oliver entered and balked home Carrera. Brantley then hit a dribbler to Young at third. Young's throw to first pulled Mitch Moreland off the bag and Marson hustled around from second to give the Indians a 3-0 lead.

A half-inning later, the Rangers, who trailed by as many as five in Friday's come-from-behind victory, rose to the occasion once again.

Moreland and Yorvit Torrealba began the frame with singles. An error by Asdrubal Cabrera allowed David Murphy to reach and Moreland to score. Kinsler followed with a game-tying single to center.

Carmona was pulled after Kinsler stole second and advanced to third on Andrus' groundout. Hamilton, who had the game-winning hit on Friday, greeted Tony Sipp with a sac fly.

Fukudome began the ninth with a double. Nelson Cruz almost snared the ball as it faded into the right-center gap, but he was unable to hang on. A sac bunt moved Fukudome to third and Chisenhall brought him home with a base hit to right.

Following a Marson fly out, Brantley's double pushed across the go-ahead run.

Feliz was pulled in favor of Yoshinori Tateyama, who promptly allowed a two- run blast to Kipnis.

The Rangers refused to go quietly. Down to their last out, they made it a 7-5 game when Kinsler drew a walk, stole second and scored on Andrus' base hit. Hamilton then reached on an infield single and both runners advanced on a wild pitch, but Young was unable to deliver.

"Sometimes you just gotta tip your hat to the opposing team," said Washington.

Game Notes

The Indians halted a seven-game losing streak to the Rangers...Andrus has hit safely in each of his first 19 career games versus the Indians...Prior to the game, Texas placed pitcher Alexi Ogando on the paternity leave list and recalled pitcher Darren O'Day from Triple-A Round Rock...Former Texas pitcher Kenny Rogers was inducted into the Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame prior to the game.