Rough first inning dooms Indians in 7-0 loss to Rangers

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Whatever could go wrong for right-hander Carlos Carrasco and the Cleveland Indians did during the first inning against the Texas Rangers.

Carrasco, the majors' best road pitcher with a 1.74 ERA away from home this season, allowed five runs - four unearned - in the opening inning and the Indians went on to a 7-0 loss to the Texas Rangers on Saturday night.

Carrasco (9-7) allowed all seven runs - three earned - and eight hits in four innings while striking out eight. He said he felt far different from his previous outing, eight shutout innings at Oakland on Monday.

"I missed a lot of my pitches' location," he said. "A team like that (the Rangers), every pitch that I miss, I get hurt."

After Ian Desmond's one-out single in the first, Carlos Beltran slapped a grounder to the left side that Jose Ramirez fielded but couldn't get to first base in time, ending a career-worst 0-for-32 streak/ The runners moved up on a balk when Carrasco began a pickoff throw but halted because first baseman Carlos Santana was 20 feet from the bag.

"I missed a sign," Carrasco said.

On Adrian Beltre's sharp grounder to third, Desmond dove back and beat Ramirez's tag to load the bases. Rougned Odor's hard grounder to first bounced off Santana's glove for a run-scoring error and Mitch Moreland pulled a first-pitch slider just inside the right-field foul pole with two out for his second career slam.

Indians manager Terry Francona said the pitch "came down a little bit, but it was supposed to come at the knee so he could chase it. Something like that and get a ground ball."

The Indians were held to seven hits by Rangers right-hander A.J. Griffin (6-3) and three relievers. Griffin had his most effective start of the season, allowing five hits and one walk in six innings for his first win since Aug. 4.

"I kind of tried to put my blinders on a little bit and execute my game plan," Griffin said of the early lead. "That was a big grand slam Mitch hit, for sure."

Griffin has routinely lost effectiveness in the middle innings but kept hitters off balance throughout his 95-pitch performance.

"Their guy tonight was certainly not a power pitcher," Francona said. "But he's throwing that real slow breaking ball and then kind of lulling us into his fastball in."

Texas has the American League's best record, two games ahead of Cleveland. The Indians maintained their 4 1/2-game lead in the Central.

Cleveland was shut out by Texas for the second time in three games after being blanked only three times in the previous 125 games this season.

GIMENEZ ON OTHER SIDE OF BATTERY

C Chris Gimenez made his second pitching appearance of the season and third of his career, retiring the three batters that he faced in the eighth inning. That included a prolonged battle before the former Ranger got Texas C Robinson Chirinos to ground out.

"I think he'll get a laugh about it, and hopefully I won't have to do it again," Gimenez said.

SHORT HOPS

Ramirez had a triple and two singles for his seventh three-hit game of the season to go with one four-hit game. He has hit safely in 27 of his last 31 games. ... LHP Andrew Miller struck out all three batters that he faced in the seventh inning on 12 pitches, 11 strikes.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Indians: Francona said there's no timetable for when C Yan Gomes (right shoulder separation) will begin a rehab session.

Rangers: RHP Colby Lewis (right lat strain) is scheduled to make his second rehab start on Monday for Double-A Frisco. He last appeared in a major league game on June 21.

UP NEXT

Indians: RHP Danny Salazar (11-5) has compiled a 10.41 ERA over six starts in July and August, lasting only 11 total innings in his last four outings.

Rangers: LHP Derek Holland (5-6) returned from the disabled list last Tuesday, allowing one run on four hits in six innings in a loss at Cincinnati.