Guardians Beat Rangers, On Verge of AL Central Title
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ARLINGTON, Texas — The Cleveland Guardians continued their march toward an American League Central title with a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night at Globe Life Field.
The Rangers (65-86) dropped the second game of the three-game series, despite a solid start by pitcher Glenn Otto and a solo home run by Marcus Semien to give the Rangers an 1-0 lead in the third inning.
The only other Texas run came on a one-out solo home run by catcher Sam Huff in the bottom of the ninth.
The Guardians (85-67) rallied after Otto left a tie game with a single run in the seventh and eight innings off the normally-reliable left-hander Brock Burke.
The win dropped the Guardians’ magic number to clinch the AL Central to two. Cleveland could clinch the title Sunday at Texas.
Burke, who had a 1.53 ERA entering the game and rescued Otto from a jam in the top of the sixth, gave up a solo home run to Cleveland’s Andrés Giménez in the top of the seventh. In the eighth, the Guardians’ Amed Rosario hit a ground-rule double into the Rangers’ bullpen in right field to score Myles Straw and make it 3-1.
Burke (7-4) took the loss.
Cleveland’s Oscar Gonzalez hit two home runs, a solo shot that tied the game in the fifth and a solo shot that gave the Guardians a 4-1 lead in the ninth.
Otto pitched a fine game, giving up three hits in 5 2/3 innings while allowing one run and one walk. He also struck out three. He left the game with two outs in the sixth and Rosario at third after he hit a one-out triple. Otto then struck out José Ramírez and gave the ball to Burke, who got Josh Naylor to ground out to end the threat and keep the game tied.
Otto’s counterpart, Guardians starter Cal Quantrill, threw six complete innings, giving up five hits and three walks while striking out four.
Rangers right fielder Adolis García did not start Saturday’s game but was available to hit after his left wrist was hit by a 100-mile-per-hour pitch on Friday night. X-rays on Friday were negative, and an examination by the Rangers’ medical staff on Saturday didn’t prevent Ranger interim manager Tony Beasley from having him on the bench, if needed.
Before the game the Rangers announced that pitcher Dane Dunning would undergo arthroscopic hip surgery and miss the remainder of the season.
The Rangers and the Guardians wrap up the series on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. with the Rangers’ Cole Ragans and the Guardians’ Aaron Civale the scheduled starters. Sunday will also serve as a day to honor Tom Grieve, the Rangers Hall of Famer who is ending his 55-year career with the organization as a player, team executive and television analyst this season.
The Rangers are off Monday before starting their final road trip of the season in Seattle, which just agreed to a contract extension with pitcher Luis Castillo.
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