Arlington, TX - Josh Barfield went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI to lead the Cleveland Indians past the Texas Rangers, 8-3.
Casey Blake also had three hits, including a pair of doubles, for the Indians, who have three wins in their last four games.
Paul Byrd (8-4) started for Cleveland and pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on three hits.
Texas starter Robinson Tejeda allowed five runs — three earned — on five hits through five frames. Tejeda (5-9) also walked five and struck out four.
Marlon Byrd ended 3-for-4 with a triple for the Rangers, who have lost four of five.
After three scoreless innings, Cleveland scored a pair of runs in the fourth to take the lead. Trot Nixon walked with one out and Jason Michaels reached base on an error. Kelly Shoppach then struck out before Barfield singled home Nixon and Michaels to make it 2-0.
The Indians added three runs in the fifth to up their lead to 5-0. Blake opened the inning with a double and advanced to third after a wild pitch. Victor Martinez then poked a single up the middle to plate Blake. Jhonny Peralta followed with a walk and after Nixon grounded out, Michaels plated two runs with a base hit.
The Tribe made it 6-0 in the sixth when Barfield crossed the plate after Willie Eyre uncorked a wild pitch.
Texas got on the board in the home half of the sixth after Frank Catalanotto doubled home Byrd, who singled before Catalanotto’s at-bat. Rafael Perez then relieved Byrd and Adam Melhuse greeted him with a run-scoring double to make it 6-2. Melhuse advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Brad Wilkerson’s infield base hit to make it a three-run game.
Cleveland, however, extended its lead to 8-3 in the eighth after Blake’s RBI single and Martinez’s sac-fly.
Game Notes
Blake now has 50 RBI on the season…Barfield stole his 11th base…Michael Young played in his 1,000 career game as Ranger, becoming just the eighth player in Texas team history to reach that mark…Rangers catcher Gerald Laird left the game with a bruised left hand in the second inning after being hit by a pitch. He was replaced by Melhuse…After being hit on the helmet by a pitch on Saturday, Texas slugger Sammy Sosa was held out of the lineup as a precaution.
