Rangers Fall To Indians Again 3-2
ARLINGTON (AP) - Alex Rios sees the growing injury list for the Texas Rangers and says there's only one thing he can do: Try to ignore it.
Such an approach might be tough for the Texas players after many more days like Sunday.
Lonnie Chisenhall had two hits and scored twice for Cleveland and the Indians beat the Rangers 3-2 a few hours after Rios and his teammates learned that Mitch Moreland, the replacement at first base for Prince Fielder, will be out three months for ankle surgery.
Texas didn't even get Moreland to the disabled list before rookie second baseman Rougned Odor sprained his right shoulder diving headfirst back to first base on a pickoff throw by Cleveland catcher Yan Gomes. Odor, who was tagged out, will be re-evaluated Monday.
"It is tough," said Rios, who had two hits along with Adrian Beltre. "But the only way you can see it is to keep going. If you quit, it's going to be a long season."
The Rangers started the day with a majors-leading 12 players on the disabled list before finding out about Moreland's upcoming operation on a left ankle that's been bothering him all season. Fielder is out for the year after neck surgery.
"I don't want to seem like I don't care," manager Ron Washington said. "I've got to focus on the games that we're playing right now with the personnel I have right now. We've been playing competitive and that's what we've got to continue to do."
Starting at third base for the second straight game after five consecutive starts at first, Chisenhall singled and scored in the fifth and sixth innings.
With five hits in the series, including a three-run homer off Texas ace Yu Darvish in the opener, Chisenhall has raised his average to .365, highest in the majors among players with at least 150 plate appearances. The four-game set wraps up Monday.
"He's been a big part of about everything we've done," manager Terry Francona said. "He's been in the middle of it seems like all our rallies."
The Indians, who started the series with the worst road record in baseball, won consecutive games away from home for the first time this season.
"We're playing better defense, we're pitching better," Chisenhall said. "Our situational hitting is way better than it was. We're not leaving guys on base."
Cleveland starter Justin Masterson (4-4) gave up five hits and two runs in 5 2-3 innings after throwing seven shutout innings against Boston at home in his last start. Bryan Shaw pitched two scoreless innings, and Cody Allen struck out two in a perfect ninth for his sixth save.
Masterson was 0-3 with a 5.73 ERA on the road coming in and hadn't won away from home since last Aug. 21 at the Los Angeles Angels.
Left-hander Joe Saunders (0-2) is winless in four starts for Texas after allowing seven hits and three runs — two earned — with four walks in 5 1-3 innings.
The Rangers got within a run in the sixth when Beltre doubled and Rios followed with a triple. Masterson kept the Indians in front by getting Chris Gimenez on a weak grounder to first, and reliever Marc Rzepczynski ended the threat with a groundout from Leonys Martin.
"You need to pick them up all the time, whether you're hurting or not," Washington said of Gimenez and Martin failing to get the tying run home. "It was just a situation where you always want the execution to happen. It just didn't happen."
Rios reached base for the third time on a walk in the eighth and was called safe on a steal attempt. The Indians won a replay challenge of Lance Barksdale's call, ending the inning.
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