Rangers-Indians Preview

In order to regroup from his first loss in nearly 10 months, Cole Hamels will have to solve his issues against the Cleveland Indians.

After his career-best 12-game winning streak came to a close, the left-hander looks to deliver the visiting Texas Rangers a sweep of the Indians on Wednesday night.

Texas (31-21) extended its winning streak to four with victories in the first two games of this series, which also gave the AL West-leading Rangers five wins in their last six against Cleveland (26-24).

Colby Lewis allowed two hits over six shutout innings and Bryan Holaday and Jurickson Profar homered in Tuesday's 7-3 victory, Texas' ninth in 11 games.

The Rangers' only loss in the last week came in Hamels' last start, a rarity since he joined the club last July.

Hamels (5-1, 3.34 ERA) surrendered six runs in 4 2/3 innings of a 9-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Friday. It was his shortest outing since July 19 with Philadelphia and his first loss since his second outing with the Rangers on Aug. 7.

Hamels had been 7-0 with a 3.87 ERA in 13 career outings in Arlington including one victory over the Rangers. He gave up eight hits, two home runs, walked a pair and hit two more batters while getting denied Texas' franchise record for consecutive victories, a mark he will instead share with Bobby Witt from 1990.

Hamels had the second-longest winning streak in the majors behind Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs.

''If you pitch long enough, you're going to have games like this,'' Hamels said. ''You're going to have good games, bad games, a ton of games in between. You just kind of move forth and try to plug away again.''

Though Hamels is 3-0 with a 1.63 ERA in four road starts, he has lost both of his career outings against the Indians. He was rocked in both, allowing a combined 14 hits and 11 runs in 10 innings in starts from 2007 and '13.

Cleveland's Trevor Bauer (3-2, 4.34) has been solid in his last four starts with a 3.65 ERA, though he has suffered the loss in two of his last three. He took a no decision in Friday's 6-4 loss to Baltimore, allowing three runs and nine hits in six innings.

Bauer gave up all three runs in the first, moving his ERA in the opening inning to 7.50.

''Unfortunately, the ball didn't bounce our way today, it bounced theirs,'' said Bauer, who struck out four and walked two. ''It sucks the way I started the game. I wish I could've stayed out there a little longer for my team, but what can you do?''

The right-hander was also roughed up a bit in his two career starts against Texas in 2014, allowing seven runs and 11 hits with six walks in 13 2/3 innings.