(Photo By: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON -- The Indians scored in seven times in the first three innings, powered by a two home run game from Jason Kipnis, to beat the Texas Rangers for the second straight night, by a score of 10-4.
The scoring started in the top of the first when Carlos Santana had an RBI single to give the Indians an early 1-0 lead. Two batters later Jason Kipnis came up with 2 guys on and drove one to right field for a 3-run home run to put the Tribe up 4-0 in the 1st, but the team was not done just yet. Roberto Perez came up and hit a solo homer, his 13th on the year, that went back to back with Kipnis, to make the lead 5-0 after the top of the first.
The Rangers came back in the bottom of the 2nd with a solo homer from former Indian, Asdrubal Cabrera to put the Rangers on the board for the first time in the game.
In the top of the third, the Indians scored twice more, once from a RBI double by Jordan Luplow and then scored again off a RBI single by Jose Ramirez, who keeps his bat hot at the plate.
Once more, Asdrubal Cabrera came up to the plate for the Rangers in the bottom of the 4th and stroked an RBI double to give the Rangers their second run, and then he scored from third a few plays later on a pickoff throw gone wrong by Adam Plutko.
Jason Kipnis stepped up in the top of the 5th and hit his 2nd homer of the game, his 5th on the season to put the Indians up by a score of 8-3, the team added two more in the top of the 9th on a Jordan Luplow 2-RBI single, to give the Indians their second straight game of double digit runs.
On the pitching rubber, Adam Plutko pitched 4 and 1/3 innings, scattering 7 hits but limiting the damn to only 3 runs, while striking out 5 and walking none. The bullpen committee of Tyler Olson, Nick Goody, Oliver Perez (who picked up his 2nd win of the year), and Adam Cimber only allowed 3 hits and one run, while striking out four the rest of the way.
The Indians wrap up the four game series with the Rangers on Thursday as Shane Bieber (6-2, 3.92 ERA) takes the hill for the Tribe and he will oppose Mike Minor (6-4, 2.63 ERA) for the Rangers. First pitch at 2:05.