Final
Rangers-Indians Preview
Apr 14, 2010 - 8:09 PM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior WriterTexas (4-3) at Cleveland (2-5), 7:05 p.m. EDT
Nelson Cruz hit a team-high 33 homers in 2009 in his first full season with the Texas Rangers. He appears determined to prove that performance was not a fluke.
Cruz can homer for the sixth time in eight games when the Rangers try for a seventh straight victory over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night.
The Rangers right fielder has outhomered the rest of his team 5-2, hitting a two-run shot in the 10th inning of a 4-2 victory Monday that spoiled Cleveland's home opener. Cruz is 11 for 24 with eight extra-base hits and 11 RBIs.
"It's a long season and very early," Cruz said. "I want to keep doing well for the team. We've got a lot of guys who can carry us."
Texas (4-3) has won nine of 10 against Cleveland (2-5). The Rangers bullpen came through with four scoreless innings Monday as new closer Neftali Feliz pitched a perfect 10th for the save.
Frank Francisco earned the win with a perfect ninth in his first appearance since blowing back-to-back save opportunities, struggles that caused manager Ron Washington to promote Feliz.
The Indians will have center fielder Grady Sizemore back after he missed two games with tightness in his back.
The Rangers will give the ball to Colby Lewis after scheduled starter C.J. Wilson suffered food poisoning Tuesday.
Lewis (1-0, 1.29 ERA) won in the major leagues for the first time Friday night since starting for the Rangers and beating Oakland on April 7, 2004, allowing one run and five hits in seven innings to defeat Seattle 6-2.
He began his career with Texas from 2002-04, had shoulder problems and was waived. Lewis moved on to Detroit and Oakland, then spent the past two seasons with Hiroshima of Japan's Central League before re-signing with the Rangers.
"It's definitely a confidence-builder first time back, yeah," Lewis said. "You always want to go out and do well. I just wanted to go out and keep doing what I've been doing the last couple of years and throw strikes. That's the key that we always talk about every day."
Justin Masterson (0-0, 1.80) will oppose Lewis after allowing one run and four hits over five innings of a 5-3, 11-inning road win over Chicago on Thursday.
"I felt good about that last outing," he said. "Overall, I felt good and felt I had command and was throwing strikes."
The right-hander has never started against the Rangers, pitching 3 2-3 scoreless innings of relief against them over four appearances.
- Indians 2, Rangers 6 - FINAL
TEXAS ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
J Borbon cf 4 1 2 2 0 0 1 .103
M Young 3b 5 1 0 0 0 1 4 .156
J Hamilton lf 4 0 3 1 1 0 1 .308
V Guerrero dh 5 0 1 1 0 1 2 .424
N Cruz rf 5 1 1 1 0 3 3 .414
C Davis 1b 5 1 2 0 0 2 2 .207
M Trean
Apr 14 10:22 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JULIO BORBON SCORED JOAQUIN ARIAS AND MATT
TREANOR
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J BORBON ON FIRST, E ANDRUS ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 6
CLEVELAND 2 TOP,8TH
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: M YOUNG (.161, 0-FOR-4)
Rangers 6, Guardians 2 Top 8, 0 OutsApr 14 9:43 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY MICHAEL BRANTLEY SCORED MATT LAPORTA AND JHONNY
PERALTA
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, M BRANTLEY ON SECOND, L VALBUENA ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 4
CLEVELAND 2 BOTTOM,6TH
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: A CABRERA (.235, 0-FOR-3)
Rangers 4, Guardians 2 Bot 6, 0 OutsApr 14 9:11 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY NELSON CRUZ (6) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 2 OUT
IN THE 3RD OFF JUSTIN MASTERSON.
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 4, CLEVELAND 0
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: C DAVIS (.200, 1-FOR-1)
Rangers 4, Guardians 0 Top 3, 0 OutsApr 14 7:58 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND OUT BY VLADIMIR GUERRERO SCORED MICHAEL YOUNG
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J HAMILTON ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 3
CLEVELAND 0 TOP,3RD
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: N CRUZ (.440, 0-FOR-1)
Rangers 3, Guardians 0 Top 3, 0 OutsApr 14 7:57 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY ELVIS ANDRUS SCORED CHRIS DAVIS
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, E ANDRUS ON FIRST, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 2
CLEVELAND 0 TOP,2ND
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: J BORBON (.077, 1-FOR-1)
Rangers 2, Guardians 0 Top 2, 0 OutsApr 14 7:42 PM - AL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
TEXAS 1 1 2 0
CLEVELAND 0 0 0 (BOT 1)
CURRENT PITCHERS: TEX - COLBY LEWIS
CLE - JUSTIN MASTERSON
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: A CABRERA (.258, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
G SIZEMORE (.273, 0 HR, 5 RBI)
S CHOO (.250, 2 HR, 2 RBI)
Rangers 1, Guardians 0 Bot 1, 0 OutsApr 14 7:14 PM
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