Cleveland Guardians vs Texas Rangers Box Score on Jun 20, 2019

Danny Santana and Elvis Andrus provided the offense Thursday, while left-hander Mike Minor pitched brilliantly, helping the Texas Rangers salvage a split in their four-game series against the Cleveland Indians with a 4-2 victory at Arlington, Texas.

Minor (7-4) went eight innings to outduel Indians right-hander Shane Bieber (6-3), who lost for the first time since May 13.

The Rangers got to Bieber for a pair of runs in the first inning when Santana doubled and scored on a triple by Andrus. A Bieber wild pitch allowed Andrus to score for a 2-0 Texas lead.

Coming off 10-3 and 10-4 victories in the previous two games, the Indians got back within 2-1 in the sixth when Oscar Mercado singled, Carlos Santana walked and Jordan Luplow had an RBI single.

Minor then got Jose Ramirez to line out to left field with the potential tying run in scoring position.

The Rangers tacked on two runs in the eighth against Cleveland reliever A.J. Cole when Danny Santana and Andrus hit back-to-back home runs, the seventh of the year for each.

Minor was pulled after eight innings, having allowed one run and three hits. He walked three and struck out four.

He won for the second time in six days after he defeated Cincinnati on Saturday.

The Indians narrowed the gap to 4-2 when Carlos Santana led off the ninth inning with his 15th home run of the season off Rangers reliever Shawn Kelley.

Cleveland got the potential tying run to the plate after Jason Kipnis singled with two outs, before Kelley nailed down his ninth save by striking out pinch-hitter Mike Freeman.

Delino DeShields joined teammates Danny Santana and Andrus with a two-hit game for the Rangers, who out-hit the Indians 8-5. Carlos Santana had two hits for the Indians, who completed a 5-2 trip.

Bieber was charged with the loss after allowing two runs and five hits in six innings. He struck out eight and did not walk a batter. He entered 4-0 in his last six starts.

--Field Level Media