Beltre Blast Sinks Tribe
The Cleveland Indians were back in action Tuesday night coming off their comeback win against the Rangers on Monday night, but history would not repeat itself for the Tribe.
Cleveland would get on the board first, as Lonnie Chisenhall sent a full count pitch into the outfield for a single, scoring the red-hot Jose Ramirez.
The Indian’s starter Mike Clevinger, and Ranger’s starter Tyson Ross would then both settle in and exchange zeros back and forth. The next run would come in the top of the fifth when Robinson Chirinos found the bleachers to tie the game at one.
Clevinger gave Cleveland everything they could have asked for. He went six innings, giving up two hits, one run, and handed out a career high nine strikeouts.
Ross was just as dominate for Texas. He went six innings as well, giving up two hits, one run, and striking out five.
The bullpens would both take their respective starters lead, matching zeros for the next few innings. That would end in the top of the ninth when Adrian Beltre hit a massive home run into the bleachers in left off Cody Allen, which would be his 450th career bomb.
Texas would call on their closer, Matt Bush, to come in for the ninth. Closing out games has been an absolute nightmare for the Rangers this year, and the Indians had three of their best hitters (Francisco Lindor, Michael Brantley, and Edwin Encarnacion) due up.
Lindor tried to tie the game to start the frame, but his blast fell just short of the wall in left for the first out. Brantley would then bloop a ball into left for a single. Encarnacion followed him with a pop up to second base for out number two. Ramirez represented the last chance for the Tribe, but would hit a week fly ball to left to end the game.
Keone Kela would get the win for Texas. Allen suffered the loss for Cleveland, which was his fourth of the year. Bush got the job done in the 9th, picking up his tenth save.
The two teams will play again on Wednesday at 7:10 pm. It will be the third game of the four-game series.
