Jimenez Shuts Down Rangers In 6-0 Win
CLEVELAND (AP) — Ubaldo Jimenez pitched eight scoreless innings and the Cleveland Indians shut out the Texas Rangers for the second straight game in a 6-0 win on Sunday.
Jason Kipnis' two-out single in the fifth broke a scoreless tie. Yan Gomes' RBI single and Michael Bourn's two-run double added three runs in the sixth as the Indians, who have won four straight, completed their first three-game sweep at home over Texas since Aug. 12-14, 1980.
Jimenez (8-5) allowed two hits and matched his longest outing of the season. Vinnie Pestano pitched the ninth as the Indians recorded their major league-leading 14th shutout.
The Rangers, who haven't scored in 21 innings, have lost 12 of 15.
Texas has scored 36 runs and has been shut out four times in that stretch.
The Rangers are 2-8 since the All-Star break.
Kipnis' single came off Alexi Ogando (4-3), who allowed one run in 4 2-3 innings.
Cleveland's sixth-inning runs came off reliever Robbie Ross. Mike Aviles added a two-run homer in the eighth.
Kipnis' first-inning single capped a 12-pitch at-bat against Ogando, who had to work around trouble in the first three innings before settling down. He retired seven straight at one point before Bourn drew a two-out walk in the fifth. Nick Swisher singled before Kipnis dropped a single in front of right fielder Nelson Cruz to score Bourn.
Kipnis' hit finished Ogando, who threw 92 pitches in his second start since coming off the disabled list. The right-hander allowed three runs in five innings on Wednesday against the Yankees. Ogando allowed six hits, walked two and struck out one.
Singles by Michael Brantley and Carlos Santana started the sixth-inning rally. Gomes singled up the middle with two outs to score Brantley before Bourn drove a double to left-center for a 4-0 lead.
Jimenez, who struck out six and walked three, dodged trouble in the first when Elvis Andrus doubled with one out. Cruz followed with a walk, but Adrian Beltre bounced into a double play.
Jimenez retired 10 in a row before A.J. Pierzynski singled to lead off the fifth. David Murphy walked and Jurickson Profar sacrificed but Mitch Moreland, who is hitless in his past 20 at-bats, popped out. Leonys Martin hit a hard ground ball on a 3-2 pitch to Swisher, who made a lunging stop at first base. He dropped the ball on the way to the bag, but recovered in time to record the out.
Andrus has hit safely in all 37 career games against the Indians.
Texas right-hander Tanner Scheppers pitched a scoreless seventh inning in his first appearance since he said he was assaulted in downtown Cleveland on Thursday night. He sustained facial cuts and bruises in the incident and was unavailable to pitch Friday. Scheppers said before Saturday's game that he could pitch but wasn't used.
NOTES: According to STATS LLC and Elias Sports Bureau, Cleveland's 1-0 victory Saturday marks the first time in the franchise's 113-year history that the Indians won a game by that score thanks to leadoff home run in the first inning. OF Bourn's homer off RHP Yu Darvish scored the game's only run while Indians' RHP Justin Masterson and two relievers blanked the Rangers. ... Rangers manager Ron Washington said the slumping Moreland will likely be rested in two of the next three games. ... Texas returns home Monday to begin a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels. Rangers RHP Matt Garza (1-0), who was acquired from the Cubs last week, takes on Angels RHP Jered Weaver (5-5). Garza has a 7-1 overall record in 12 starts this season. ... The Indians continue their seven-game homestand Monday against the Chicago White Sox. Indians RHP Zach McAllister (4-6) faces White Sox LHP John Danks (2-8) in the opener of a four-game series.
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