Jose Ramirez went 2-for-3 with four RBIs and five Cleveland pitchers combined for a four-hitter as the Guardians handed the slumping Texas Rangers their fourth straight loss 7-0 in the opener of a three-game series on Monday night in Arlington, Texas.
Ramirez had a pair of two-run singles, walked twice and stole two bases, and Andres Gimenez and Brayan Rocchio each had two hits and two runs scored for Cleveland. Hunter Gaddis (2-1) picked up the win with an inning of hitless relief.
Jose Leclerc (3-3) suffered the loss, allowing three runs on two hits and a walk in just one-third of an inning. Texas starter Michael Lorenzen no-hit the Guardians for 5 1/3 innings before yielding a ground single to left to Tyler Freeman. Lorenzen allowed just one hit and four walks over seven innings while striking out four.
Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee, who allowed three hits, walked two and struck four, retired the first 11 batters he faced before allowing an infield single to Nathaniel Lowe. Bibee left after loading the bases with one out in the sixth on an infield single to Leody Taveras and back-to-back walks to Corey Seager and Lowe. But reliever Nick Sandlin got out of the jam by striking out Adolis Garcia and inducing Josh Smith to ground out.
The Guardians didn’t get a runner to third base until the seventh when Ramirez led off with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a groundout. But Lorenzen ended the threat by striking out Kyle Manzardo.
Cleveland then took a 4-0 lead in the eighth off relievers Leclerc and Jacob Lutz. Estevian Florial led off with a line-drive double over the head of Garcia in right and scored one out later on a bloop single to center by Rocchio. Freeman then walked, chasing Leclerc. Andres Gimenez greeted Lutz with a single to load the bases and Ramirez followed with a single to center to drive in Rocchio and Freeman to make it 3-0. Gimenez later scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead to 4-0.
The Guardians added three more runs in the ninth against reliever Owen White to blow the contest open. Gimenez had an RBI double to drive in Rocchio, who had singled, and Ramirez followed with a two-run single to drive in Freeman, who had walked, and Gimenez.
–Field Level Media