Bo Naylor hit a two-run double and Josh Naylor added a three-run home run to highlight a six-run second inning as the Cleveland Guardians won their third straight game, beating the Texas Rangers 7-4 on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.
Andres Gimenez went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run and Tyler Freeman doubled, reached base four times and scored once for the American League Central-leading Guardians.
Cleveland’s Ben Lively (2-2) allowed three runs on five hits over five innings. He walked three and struck out five. Emmanuel Clase pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 12th save.
Adolis Garcia homered, doubled and scored twice, and Corey Seager and Nathaniel Lowe also went deep for the Rangers. Texas lost its fifth straight game, the longest losing streak of the season for the defending World Series champions.
Highly touted Rangers pitching prospect Jack Leiter, making his home debut in his third major league start, gave up six runs on three hits and three walks over 1 2/3 innings. Leiter (0-1) struck out one and also hit two batters as his ERA ballooned to 16.39.
Cleveland, coming in off back-to-back 7-0 victories, jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the second inning, sending 10 batters to the plate and chasing Leiter in the process.
Kyle Manzardo was hit by a pitch to open the inning and Estevan Florial followed with a walk. Bo Naylor then lined a double that one-hopped the wall in center to drive in both runners.
One out later, Freeman walked and Gimenez followed with an RBI single. After Jose Ramirez flied out, Josh Naylor made it 6-0 with his 12th home run of the season, a 371-foot blast to right.
Garcia cut it to 6-1 when he led off the bottom of the second with a line-drive homer inside the left foul pole, his ninth home run of the season.
Seager made it 6-2 in the third with his fifth homer, and Lowe hit his second home run of the season in the fifth to make it 6-3.
The Rangers closed within 6-4 in the eighth against reliever Scott Barlow when Garcia doubled down the left-field line with one out and scored on a single by Josh Smith.
Cleveland added an insurance run in the ninth against Kirby Yates. Brayan Rocchio led off with a walk, advanced to third on a double by Freeman and scored on a sacrifice fly by Gimenez.
–Field Level Media
