CLEVELAND _ Prior to Monday's game against the Texas Rangers, manager Terry Francona was asked about Elvis Andrus' hot streak against the Indians. Simply put, the Rangers' shortstop had recently been unstoppable against anything the Indians tried.
"There's always a guy on every team, it just never (fails)," Francona said pregame. "Every time somebody comes in, you look and (you're) like, 'What the hell is the rest of the league doing?' Yeah, he has done really well against us."
And on a night in which it only took one key hit to separate two terrific pitching performances, Andrus proved to be the difference in the Indians' 1-0 loss to the Rangers at Progressive Field.
Indians starting pitcher Aaron Civale turned in another strong showing as he dueled Rangers starter Mike Minor. Andrus singled off Civale in the first inning, but no damage was done.
In the fourth, however, a known and constant threat against the Indians (66-46) came through with the biggest hit of the night, as Andrus led off the inning with a triple to right-center field. He scored a few pitchers later via Nomar Mazara's sacrifice fly. And that was it. Andrus struck again, and the Indians' offense never countered.
The Indians' new-look offense had scored at least six runs in three consecutive games entering Monday night but was silenced by Minor, who scattered seven hits and a walk over seven innings and struck out seven. The Indians' first scoring chance came in Minor's last, the bottom of the seventh. Jordan Luplow reached base with an infield single and Jason Kipnis followed with a bunt single that took a funny hop on Rangers third baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
Franmil Reyes was retired with a flyout to right field, which broke a streak of six consecutive strikeouts dating back to Sunday's game. With one out and Roberto Perez up, Luplow stole third base but was hurt while sliding. He was tended to by trainers for a few moments and then left the game with a right hamstring cramp. Tyler Naquin entered in his place.
But, Naquin wouldn't get to advance the needed 90 feet. Perez struck out looking in a nine-pitch at-bat and Francisco Lindor was retired with a fielder's choice to end the inning.
The Indians again had the potential tying run 90 feet away but couldn't convert in the bottom of the ninth. Jose Ramirez led off the inning with a double that hit the right-field line. He was then bunted to third by Tyler Naquin.
Rangers closer Jose Leclerc then retired Jason Kipnis with a groundout and Reyes with a flyout to center field.
The positive of the night for the Indians rested with Civale. In his second career start at the major-league level, Civale allowed one run on three hits and a walk and struck out seven in six innings. It followed his MLB debut on June 22, when he struck out six in six scoreless innings in a 2-0 win against the Detroit Tigers.
