Cleveland, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Lonnie Chisenhall homered and drove in three runs as the Cleveland Indians salvaged the finale of a three-game set and beat the Texas Rangers, 12-3, at Progressive Field on Wednesday.
Chisenhall finished 3-for-5 and scored two runs for the Tribe, who got back into the win column. Nick Swisher and Carlos Santana also homered for Cleveland, which has won seven of its last nine. Michael Bourn added three hits and Jason Kipnis went 3-for-5, ending a homer shy of the cycle.
Cleveland starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco's (6-4) effort was somewhat overshadowed with the massive offensive outburst. The right-hander allowed just one run on five hits, striking out eight and walking one over eight dominant innings.
"We had an 11-run lead, so they're going to be aggressive," said Carrasco. "You have to stay aggressive. That's what I did. I think [saving the bullpen] helped a little bit. The last two games, we used the bullpen a lot. I just went out there and tried to put zeroes on the board."
Robinson Chirinos homered to highlight the lackluster offensive effort from the Rangers, who had a seven-game win streak halted and ended a nine-game road trip 7-2. Leonys Martin added a two-run ninth-inning homer off Cleveland reliever Scott Atchison to round out the scoring.
Cleveland go going against Texas starting pitcher Colby Lewis in the second inning. Swisher started it off with a solo homer and Bourn later added an RBI single for a 2-0 edge.
The third inning provided much of the same for the Indians. David Murphy drove in the first run of the frame and then scored along with Michael Brantley on a Chisenhall double. Chisenhall then scored on Bourn's base hit and Roberto Perez drove home Bourn for the seventh run. Santana' three-run homer later in the frame ended the day for Lewis and staked the Indians to a 10-run lead.
Lewis (4-3) was hit with the loss, allowing 10 runs -- nine earned -- on 11 hits over 2 2/3 innings. The setback ended a personal three-game winning streak for the right-hander.
Chisenhall added a solo homer in the fourth inning to make it 11-0. Then, after Chirinos finally got Texas on the board with a fifth-inning solo homer, Brantley's sac fly plated Kipnis, who tripled earlier, for a 12-1 lead.
Brantley ended 2-for-2.
Josh Hamilton went 1-for-4, picking up his first hit since re-joining the Rangers on May 25.
"If I can just stay this way and remind myself that, like I've said all along, I've got a few years left, just enjoy them," said Hamilton. "If I enjoy them, then I'll play how I need to play. That's how it always works."
Game Notes
The Indians embark on a seven-game road trip, visiting Seattle for four games before traveling for three games at Kansas City ... Texas starts a seven-game homestand on Thursday, welcoming Boston for four and then the White Sox for three ... Beltre has a hit in five straight games ... Swisher's HR was his second of the season ... Santana has six homers this season ... Texas and Cleveland split its season series against each other, going 3-3 ... Chirinos' HR was his fifth of the season ... Kipnis' three hits gives him 46 in May, the most hits in one month by a Cleveland batter since Roberto Alomar had 54 in Sept/Oct 2000.
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