Cleveland, OH - Brandon McCarthy pitched into the seventh inning and Marlon Byrd drove in a run as Texas put the clamps on Cleveland, 3-1, in the opening contest of a three-game set at Jacobs Field.
At least for one night, the Rangers didn’t miss traded Mark Teixeira and Eric Gagne. Rumored since Monday, Teixeira was officially dealt to Atlanta on Tuesday for a host of Atlanta’s top prospects highlighted by catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, while Gagne was shipped to Boston just before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. (et) trade deadline for three players led by southpaw Kason Gabbard.
After the exodus of stars, the night belonged to McCarthy, Byrd and Nelson Cruz, who belted his sixth home run of the season in the fifth. McCarthy (5-7) gave up one run on four hits with three walks and one strikeout in 6 2/3 frames to outduel Fausto Carmona (13-5), who lost for the first time in six starts.
Carmona surrendered three runs — a pair earned — on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts over seven frames. Ryan Garko accounted for the only Indians run with a solo homer.
The Indians have lost three straight, while Texas put a halt to a three-game skid.
Cruz’s solo shot in the fifth accounted for the game’s first run, then the Rangers jumped on the hard-throwing right-hander again in the sixth.
Ian Kinsler walked and Michael Young singled before Sammy Sosa was plunked by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. Byrd then chopped a hard grounder toward Casey Blake at third, and a bad hop took the ball into left field which plated a pair of runs.
Garko made it 3-1 in the seventh, but C.J. Wilson worked the final 1 2/3 frames for his first save of the season and third of his career.
Game Notes
Gagne was sent to Boston for Gabbard and a pair of minor-league outfielders…Teixeira was traded to Atlanta with Ron Mahay in exchange for catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, minor league infielder Elvis Andrus and minor league pitchers Matt Harrison, Beau Jones and Neftali Feliz…Garko has 14 homers on the season…McCarthy’s start was his longest outing of the season…Young has hit safely in 12 of his 13 games…Attendance 21,811.
