Arlington, TX – Adrian Beltre clubbed a solo home run and scored twice to help the Texas Rangers take a 6-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians in the opener of a three-game set on Tuesday.
Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus and Leonys Martin each knocked in a run for the Rangers, who have won four of their last six games.
Matt Harrison (16-9) earned the victory after giving up two runs on five hits and three walks over 5 2/3 frames. Joe Nathan fired a perfect ninth to nail down his 32nd save of the season.
Ubaldo Jimenez (9-16) yielded five runs -- two earned -- on four hits and four walks over five innings to take his fifth straight losing decision.
Matt LaPorta smacked an RBI double in the setback, Cleveland's fourth straight.
"I did everything possible to be close on the scoreboard," Jimenez said. "The guys didn't give up, they didn't get disappointed. That's what we have to do is finish the season strong."
The Rangers plated four in the second inning, as Beltre reached second on third baseman Jason Donald's throwing error to start the frame.
After a fly ball moved Beltre to third, Young registered the game's first hit with a single up the middle and Mitch Moreland followed with a double into the right-field corner before Young crossed home on a wild pitch.
A Geovany Soto walk put runners on the corners and Moreland scored on a sacrifice fly from Martin before Kinsler scorched a double into the left-field corner to plate Soto from first and extend the margin to 4-0.
"When somebody makes an error or make mistakes we capitalize on it which is good," Beltre said of the second inning. "We scored about three runs in that inning that turned out to win the game."
Harrison held the Tribe hitless over the first four frames, but issued a one- out walk to Brent Lillibridge in the fifth before Donald got Cleveland its first hit with a liner into center field.
Thomas Neal's force out at second found runners on the corners and Ezequiel Carrera followed with a looping single into shallow center field to score Lillibridge and trim the margin to 4-1.
Beltre quickly got the run back in the bottom half when he launched a leadoff blast into left-center field. It was originally ruled a double, but the umpires reviewed the play and awarded Beltre with his 31st homer of the year to restore Texas' four-run edge.
In the sixth, Russ Canzler smacked a two-out single and came around to score when LaPorta launched a double off the base of the wall in center field to bring the Indians within 5-2 and chase Harrison from the contest.
Alexi Ogando entered and grounded out Brent Lillibridge before Texas added a run in the bottom half when Martin doubled, stole third and finally scored on Andrus' two-out base hit to center field.
Cleveland battled back in the eighth, as Canzler plated a run with an RBI groundout and, after pinch-hitter Lonnie Chisenhall walked, Koji Uehara entered and served up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Casey Kotchman.
Tanner Scheppers was then called on from the bullpen to face pinch-hitter Michael Brantley, who was caught looking at strike three to end the threat.
Game Notes
Jimenez hasn't won since Aug. 9, spanning six starts ... Andrus has hit safely in all 30 of his career games against Cleveland ... Texas outfielder David Murphy recorded his 50th stolen base of his career in the third inning.
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