Indians at Rangers
Rookie Oscar Mercado has made quite an impression in just over a month in the major leagues, and the 24-year-old outfielder looks to continue his hot streak when the Cleveland Indians visit the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. Mercado has recorded 33 hits and scored 25 runs in his first 28 games in the big leagues after going 2-for-5 while crossing the plate three times in Tuesday’s 10-3 rout that even the series at one win apiece.
Mercado is 10-for-24 with seven runs scored and five RBIs during his five-game hitting streak and Jake Bauers has knocked in five runs while going 11-for-22 in the same stretch for the Indians, who have won nine of their last 13 contests. Adam Plutko will try to post another strong outing on the mound when he takes the ball for Cleveland on Wednesday against Joe Palumbo, who makes his second major-league start after struggling in his debut. The Rangers have dropped four of their last seven games after managing just three hits in the first eight innings Tuesday, but got some good news as outfielder Nomar Mazara went 2-for-4 after missing the previous two contests with a hamstring injury. Danny Santana is 7-for-16 in his last four games for Texas and teammate Willie Calhoun homered in his second game since returning from a quad injury that kept him out almost a month.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), FS Southwest (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Adam Plutko (3-1, 4.63 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Joe Palumbo (0-0. 9.00)
Plutko posted his third quality start in four outings since being recalled, limiting Detroit to three runs and five hits (two homers) over six innings on Friday. The 27-year-old UCLA product has given up five earned runs in his three quality starts while yielding seven in his lone loss against Tampa Bay on May 23. Plutko, who will be facing Texas for the first time, is 2-3 with a 6.17 ERA in nine career appearances (six starts) on the road.
Palumbo avoided a decision in his first major-league start on June 8, allowing four runs and six hits with four strikeouts over four innings against Oakland. The 24-year-old New Yorker, who was picked in the 30th round of the 2013 draft, did not walk a batter in the last start. Palumbo was 0-0 with a 3.19 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts) with Double-A Frisco before being recalled.
WALK-OFFS
1. Texas RHP Jose Leclerc has struck out at least one batter in 22 straight relief appearances, one shy of Wayne Rosenthal’s franchise record (1991).
2. Cleveland 1B-DH Carlos Santana saw his 12-game hitting streak end Tuesday, but he has reached base in 31 of his last 32 contests.
3. Rangers SS Elvis Andrus is just 1-for-15 in the last four games as his batting average dropped to .298.