Jayson Nix homers twice as the Indians beat Texas for their seventh win in the last nine games. The Tribe finished with a season-high four homers.
Matt LaPorta's two-run homer gave the Indians a 4-0 lead in the third inning Monday night in Arlington, Texas. Minutes later, LaPorta was involved at a collision at first base with the Rangers' Elvis Andrus that eventually took him out of the game.ARLINGTON, Texas -- Manager Manny Acta said before Monday night's game against Texas that Jayson Nix has some fans in the Indians organization.
These aren't the kind of fans who collect autographs. These are the kind of fans who scout and track a player because of his talent. When the White Sox put Nix on waivers last month, the Indians put in a claim and brought him straight to the big leagues to help fill their seemingly bottomless hole at second base.
The native Texan didn't disappoint his fans Monday night as he hit two homers in the Indians' 9-3 victory over AL West-leading Texas at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The Indians have won seven of their last nine games.
Nix's second homer of the night, a booming two-run shot off Alexi Ogando in the seventh, provided the game's final runs. It was the first time that the Indians' lead actually seemed secure.
The Indians hit a season-high four homers. Carlos Santana and Matt LaPorta joined Nix in the power parade.
How good a night was it for the Indians? Manager Manny Acta protested a three-run homer by Nelson Cruz in the seventh. The umpires went to their instant replay station and agreed with Acta. Crew chief Tim Tschida waved off the homer when replays showed that it veered outside the right-field foul pole.
It's the first time that argument has gone in Acta's favor this year. He argued it at least three other times and the replay verdict went against him.
Frank Herrmann may have gotten the two biggest outs of the game. He relieved starter Aaron Laffey in the fifth with two on and one out and the Tribe leading, 6-2. Laffey's 101st pitch was Ian Kinsler's RBI single and Acta wanted Herrmann with the heart of the Rangers' lineup due up.
Herrmann gave up a single to Vladimir Guerrero to load the bases, but threw called third strikes past Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz to end the inning. The Rangers have lost five of their last seven games.
The Indians took a 6-1 lead on Michael Brantley's sacrifice fly in the fifth. Trevor Crowe walked, went to third on Jason Donald's double and scored on Brantley's fly ball to center.
Donald led the Tribe's 12-hit attack with a 4-for-4 night.
The Indians, ranked 11th in the American League in home runs going into Monday's game, hit three through the fourth to take a 5-1 lead. Santana, LaPorta and Nix went deep. Santana and LaPorta homered off rookie Omar Beltre in the third. Nix homered off Dustin Nippert in the fourth.
It was Santana's fifth homer in 23 games. It was Nix's second homer since the Tribe claimed him on waivers on June 24. LaPorta's two-run homer was his fifth, four coming since he was recalled on June 28 from Class AAA Columbus.
LaPorta's homer was a two-run shot in the third. Santana started the inning with a long drive into the upper deck in right field. LaPorta has nine RBI since being recalled.
In the third, LaPorta was clipped in the head at first base by shortstop Elvis Andrus, who crossed the bag after beating out an infield single to short. LaPorta leaned back to take a bouncing throw from Jason Donald and Andrus clocked him in the head with the left side of his body.
LaPorta went down flat on his back. Julio Borbon, who reached on walk, scored from first and Andrus went to second as Donald's throw rolled behind first base. LaPorta stayed in the game, but was replaced by Andy Marte in the fourth as the Indians announced he had a contusion to his head.
Laffey allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out three. Beltre allowed four runs on four hits in three innings in his second big-league start for the Rangers. He walked three and struck out three.