Bats Come Through Late; Indians Rally to Top Rangers 7-5 to End April 15-12, Three Takeaways From the Win

CLEVELAND - The Indians bats have had their issues all season scoring runs unless they have come via the long ball. That changed in a big way on Monday night.

CLEVELAND - The Indians bats have had their issues all season scoring runs unless they have come via the long ball.

That changed in a big way on Monday night.

The Tribe put up a seven spot on the Texas Rangers, scoring four of those runs in a big 8th inning rally as the Indians rallied to top Texas 7-5 at Progressive Field.

The rally came after reliever Tyler Olson uncharacteristically allowed two runs on three hits to allow Texas to take a 4-3 lead.

The Indians would not be denied, sending eight men to the plate in the 8th as they put up a four-spot for the comeback win. The victory ends April with a 15-12 record for the Indians, and hopefully the good night of offense Monday is a sign of things to come as we get into May.

Here's three takeaways from the big win, as the team wraps up a winning first month of the season three games over .500.

1. Missed Chances

The Indians offense created plenty of chances against the Rangers, and it seemed like it was pulling teeth trying to convert those chances as the night went along.

In the 5th they had runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out, and a shallow fly out by Jose Ramirez and strikeout by Edwin Encarnacion ended the frame scoring just a run when it could have been more.

In the 6th, they again had 2nd and 3rd with one out, and this time it was strikeouts by both Roberto Perez and Bradley Zimmer that ended the inning with no runs.

They had runners on first and second in the 7th with no outs, and Encarnacion hit into a double play, and a lineout to first by pinch hitter Michael Brantley ended the inning.

That's six runners in three innings left on that easily could have changed the game if even two of them would have scored. Instead it was yet another frustrating night for the offense with runners on base, that is until they finally got it right in the 8th inning to win the game.

2. More Pen Woes

It seems like the last few days the Indians bullpen has had all kinds of issues, and Monday night against the Rangers was no different.

This time it was Tyler Olson's turn to struggle, as the usual lights out Tribe reliever gave up two runs on three hits in just two thirds of an inning, this after Trevor Bauer allowed the tying homer to make it a 2-2 game with two outs in the seventh.

Up 3-2, Olson gave up an infield single to start the 8th, and then after a wild pitch, he gave up a double to Jurickson Profar to tie the game at three.

The Rangers took the 4-3 lead on the next batter, as Nomar Mazara doubled to bring in Profar to make it a 4-3 game.

It was the first runs allowed by Olson since April 10th when he allowed a run against the Tigers in an Indians 2-1 win.

1. When it Counts

The Indians left runners on base all night, have two base runners in each of the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th and only having three runs to show for it.

Down 4-3 in the 8th, the Tribe bats finally came through, as after Rajai Davis singled to start the inning, Bradley Zimmer singled him to second, and then Davis stole third.

Francisco Lindor then hit a wacky ball that went off pitcher Chris Martin's glove and allowed Davis to score and Zimmer to go to second.

After Jason Kipnis flew out, Jose Ramirez had the big hit of the night, a two out, RBI double that scored Zimmer to make it a 5-4 Indians lead.

That wasn't all, as after a pitching change Yonder Alonso, who came in the game for Edwin Encarnacion at first base, singled to right to score both Lindor and Ramirez and open the game up to give the Tribe a 7-4 lead.

The offense put up seven runs on 12 hits, and for the first time all season didn't rely on the long ball to have a productive night at the plate.