Derek Holland Gets Second Career Shutout In Win Over Indians
CLEVELAND (AP) – Derek Holland tossed a five-hitter for his second career shutout and the Texas Rangers beat the Cleveland Indians 4-0 on Saturday night.
Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz each hit a two-run homer as Texas won for the seventh time in eight games to improve to 15-8 since May 10. The Rangers have won 15 of the last 18 meetings against the Indians and 10 of 11 at Progressive Field.
Holland (5-1) struck out five, walked one and hit a batter in his first shutout since he threw a three-hitter in Texas' 7-0 victory at the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 9, 2009.
Cleveland has lost eight of 11 and a season-high five straight at home.
Both homers came off Fausto Carmona (3-7), who hasn't won since May 3 and is 0-4 in his last six starts. Hamilton connected in the first, hitting a drive into the second deck in right field that traveled an estimated 445 feet. Cruz went deep in the seventh, sending a 1-2 pitch an estimated 440 feet to the bleachers in left field.
Hamilton and Cruz also homered in Texas' 11-2 win Friday night, and the AL West-leading Rangers are 18-5 with both players in the lineup.
Cleveland right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, who has been in a season-long slump and is hitting .246, got the night off.
Following Grady Sizemore's single in the second, Holland retired 12 batters in a row before walking Adam Everett with one out in the sixth. Michael Brantley followed with a single and an error by normally surehanded third baseman Adrian Beltre loaded the bases with two outs. Carlos Santana grounded out to Beltre on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning.
The Indians had runners on first and second in the seventh, but Holland struck out Lou Marson and retired Everett on a groundout.
Holland is a native of Newark, Ohio, a 2 1/2-hour car trip from Cleveland. He pitched in front of several family members and friends.
After Elvis Andrus' one-out single, Hamilton, starting in center for the first time since coming off the DL on May 23, went deep on Carmona's first pitch. It was the third homer of the season for the reigning AL MVP, who has played in only 23 of Texas' 58 games.
Beltre was hit by a pitch to start the seventh and scored when Cruz hit his 12th homer. It was his third career homer in 13 at-bats against Carmona.
Indians reliever Vinnie Pestano threw his warmup pitches on the mound before the ninth inning, but was removed with an apparent injury.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
