Snapped! Guardians End Texas Rangers Winning Streak in Series-Opening Rout

The Texas Rangers lost for the first time on the road trip, as Cleveland Guardians starter Lucas Giolito pitched a gem for the home team.

The Cleveland Guardians snapped the Texas Rangers' six-game winning streak with a 12-3 blowout victory at Progressive Field on Friday night. 

The Guardians (70-78) got seven quality innings from starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (8-13), as he gave up two hits and struck out 12. The Rangers (82-65) lost for the first time since Sept. 8. 

Texas had scored 35 runs in the four-game sweep at the Toronto Blue Jays to open the road trip and catapult up the playoff standings. The Rangers are guaranteed to go into Saturday no worse than tied for second in the Wild Card race. 

The Texas Rangers were held in check after an offensive explosion in Toronto.

© Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

By the time the Rangers got Giolito off the mound, the game was out of hand. The Guardians had three home runs — including one from former Rangers outfielder Kole Calhoun, who just registered 10 years of MLB service time.

Rangers hitters struck out 16 times total. Sam Huff helped the Rangers avoid the shutout with a home run, part of a three-run ninth.

Rangers starter Jon Gray (8-8) took the loss and failed to get out of the fourth inning for the second straight start. The Rangers also burned through Andrew Heaney, who was a potential starter for Sunday's slot in the rotation vacated by Max Scherzer, who is now on the injured list.  

Guardians 12, Rangers 3

Notables from the Friday's Rangers-Guardians series opener.

Pitching Woes

Rangers starter Jon Gray was unable to get out of the fourth inning, as he gave up seven hits and three earned runs in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked two. Along the way, he gave up a home run to Andrés Giménez, a two-run shot that put the Guardians up 2-0. It was only his second homer of the year.

Gray later gave up a run in the fourth, and that gave way to left-hander Andrew Heaney, who got the final out of the fourth inning.

Heaney gave up a home run to Ramón Laureano to lead off the fifth inning. But that wasn’t the worst of it. He threw two innings, giving up six hits and six earned runs.

From there, the Rangers wanted to minimize the damage to the bullpen and worked Ian Kennedy for 1 1/3 innings — and he gave up three runs — before putting in catcher Austin Hedges to pitch the eighth. Oddly enough, Hedges threw a perfect eighth inning.

Offensive Woes

The Rangers had issues getting Giolito for the duration of his start. Rookie outfielder Evan Carter got the Rangers’ first hit off Giolito, as he doubled in the third but was thrown out at third. It was a play in which Carter was originally called safe, but the Guardians challenged it and umpires overturned the call, determining that Carter’s foot came off the bag while the glove was applied to him.

Corey Seager got the other hit off Giolito, which came in the seventh inning.

In the ninth, the Rangers finally heated up. Sam Huff hit a mammoth home run to center field to score the club's first run. Rookie Jonathan Ornelas singled through the hole at shortstop to get his first career Major League hit. Mitch Garver also singled. Hedges drove in two runs on a bases-loaded single. 

Next Up

The Rangers will continue their three-game series with the Guardians on Saturday. Texas will start right-hander Dane Dunning (10-6, 3.91) opposite right-hander Tanner Bibee 10-4, 3.03). The game is set for 5:10 p.m. Sunday's finale will begin at 12:40 p.m. and the Rangers have not announced who their starter will be.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.

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