ARLINGTON, Texas _ You don't always get second chances in baseball. Francisco Lindor was granted one on Wednesday night, and he seized the opportunity in a thunderous way in the Indians' 9-6 comeback win against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night.
The Indians entered the top of the ninth inning trailing, 6-4. Facing Sam Dyson, two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out. Carlos Santana drew a walk to make it 5-4, allowing Lindor, who earlier had made a costly defensive miscue that gave the Rangers the lead, a chance to more than make up his mistake.
He did it in the loudest way possible, crushing a grand slam down the right-field line. Lindor was yelling and first-pumping around the bases, as the Indians pulled off their second comeback win in three games.
It was Lindor's second home run of the night after he launched a solo shot in the sixth inning off Rangers starter Cole Hamels. It was all to atone for what came in the fifth, and a rare defensive miscue by the Indians' Gold Glove shortstop.
With two outs and runners on first and second, Danny Salazar induced the ground ball he wanted off the bat of Shin-Soo Choo. What appeared to be a routine, inning-ending play unraveled on the Indians.
Lindor fielded the ground ball and looked to second but was beat to the base by Joey Gallo. That mistake was compounded when his throw to Edwin Encarnacion bounced off his glove and into the stands, allowing both runners _ one who came all the way around from first _ to score on the play. Nomar Mazara, who earlier crushed a two-run home run off Salazar, made the error sting a bit more with an RBI-single up the middle to make it 5-3.
Lindor ensured that none of it mattered in the ninth, slamming one of the biggest hits of his major-league career.
Salazar struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings in his season debut and for the most part was solely hurt by Mazara's first-inning home run and Lindors defensive gaffe in the fifth.
The Indians had already come back in the game once. Trailing 2-0, Jose Ramirez hit a two-out, two-RBI single to right field to tie it at 2 and continue his torrid ability with runners in scoring position dating back to last season. In the top of the fifth, Roberto Perez put the Indians on top 3-2 with a sacrifice fly to left field to score Yandy Diaz, who singled.
The Indians leave Texas 3-0, and with one major mistake effectively erased from the books with one big swing.
