Cleveland @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 6, 2011 ) Cleveland 7, Texas 5

THE STORY: No lead has been safe in the first two games of the series between the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians, who will play the rubber game Sunday night in the sauna known as Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Playing in prime time would normally provide some relief from the scorching Texas heat, but the temperature for the first pitch of Saturday night's game was 106 degrees – the highest ever at Rangers Ballpark. Cleveland rallied for four runs in the ninth inning to snatch away a 7-5 victory Saturday after Texas had scored twice in the ninth en route to an 11-inning win in Friday’s series opener.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), FSH (Texas)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Josh Tomlin (11-5, 4.16 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Colby Lewis (10-8, 4.14 ERA).

Tomlin is 1-1 in his last five starts. Ironically, the one loss during that stretch came in his best outing and the lone victory came despite surrendering three homers in five innings. He has allowed six homers in the last five starts and 20 overall on the season. Twelve of the homers have come in 11 road starts. He has pitched at least five innings in all 34 career starts, the first pitcher to do so since 1919.

After winning five straight decisions, Lewis has struggled in his last two starts. He was roughed up for five runs on 10 hits in four-plus innings at Detroit on Tuesday. Lewis has been plagued by the long ball all season, giving up an American League-leading 27 blasts to surpass last year’s total by six in 10 fewer outings. He won both his starts against the Indians last year, striking out 18 in 11 1/3 innings.

ABOUT THE RANGERS (63-51): Texas clawed back from one three-run deficit Saturday and almost did it a second time, putting the tying runs in scoring position with two outs in the ninth. Ian Kinsler, mired in a 3-for-42 slump, delivered a two-run single to highlight a four-run seventh inning. Josh Hamilton extended his hitting streak to 11 games and also had a sacrifice fly. Mike Napoli's nine-game hitting streak came to an end. He had five homers and nine RBIs in that span. Yorvit Torrealba had three more hits and is 10-for-21 with five doubles during a five-game hitting streak.

ABOUT THE INDIANS (56-55): With its season slipping away, Cleveland got some much-needed juice from its youth movement in a dramatic ninth-inning rally to stay four games behind AL Central-leading Detroit. Struggling rookie Lonnie Chisenhall delivered a tying RBI single before scoring the go-ahead run on Michael Brantley's two-out double. Jason Kipnis, playing in his 13th major league game, followed with a two-run homer. It was his fifth blast, all coming during a seven-game hitting streak. One area of concern is closer Chris Perez, who had another shaky ninth inning. Perez has allowed at least one run in six of his last seven appearances.

FINAL PITCH: Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre aggravated his hamstring pull during baserunning drills Saturday. Beltre, who has been sidelined since July 22, was scheduled to see the team physician Saturday night. In his first season with Texas, Beltre is batting .276 with 20 homers and 76 RBIs in 100 games.