CLEVELAND _ A seven-run deficit turned into a three-run lead in two innings. Thirteen unanswered runs. An ill manager who had to leave the dugout. Some scattered showers. An apparent beatdown transformed into a memorable come-from-behind victory.
Monday night's game just about had it all, ending with the Indians puling off a wild comeback to beat the Texas Rangers, 15-9.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak, meaning the Indians still haven't lost more than three in a row since September of 2015.
The Rangers pummeled Indians starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco. The first four batters of the game scored, highlighted by Nomar Mazara's RBI-double and Adrian Beltre's three-run home run to make it 4-0. In the second inning, Elvis Andrus added a three-run home of his own, putting the Rangers up 7-1.
Joey Gallo ended Carrasco's night in the fourth with a solo home run. Carrasco gave up eight runs in only 3 1/3 innings. Dan Otero entered but the barrage continued with Andrus' second home run of the night, a solo shot, to make it 9-2 in the top of the fourth.
By the bottom of the sixth, the Indians had erased that deficit and then some, scoring four runs in the fifth and another five in the sixth to take a 12-9 lead.
Within those two innings alone as the Indians slashed away at the Rangers' lead, Lonnie Chisenhall drove in three runs on two singles, Francisco Lindor drove in two with two singles, Roberto Perez walked in a run, Bradley Zimmer scored a run with a fielder's choice, Jason Kipnis drove in one with a sacrifice fly to center field and Carlos Santana singled home a run.
Now with the lead, the Indians continued to pile on in the seventh, bludgeoning the Rangers with four doubles and three runs. Santana, Perez and Zimmer all doubled home runs in the inning to extend the Indians' lead to 15-9 on a season-high 19 hits.
In the end, the Indians scored 13 unanswered runs. All nine hitters in the starting lineup had at least one hit and reached base at least twice. Kipnis was the only starter to not record at least two hits. The night also included some scattered rain showers which threatened a delay.
After arguably the worst offensive stretch of their season over the weekend against the Minnesota Twins, the Indians' offense effectively exploded on Monday night. The Indians went 1-for-23 with runners in scoring position that series and then went 11-for-28 on Monday. It was the most at-bats with runners in scoring position in a single game by the Indians sine 1974.
Indians manager Terry Francona left the dugout at some point prior to the fourth inning with an illness and did not return. Bench coach Brad Mills managed the rest of the game. Francona also left the dugout on June 13, when he experienced dehydration and a faster-than-normal heart beat. No further details were available.
