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Texas Rangers continue their 10-game homestand this evening with the first of four games against the
Cleveland Indians at Rangers Ballpark.
The Rangers started their homestand in impressive fashion by taking two of three from the Oakland Athletics over the weekend. However, the Rangers were denied a sweep in the series, as they dropped a 13-8 decision in Sunday's finale.
Milton Bradley smashed a two-run homer and finished with three RBI for Texas, while Michael Young scored twice and extended his hitting streak to 17 games. However, the Rangers bullpen surrendered nine runs in the seventh inning to erase a 7-4 lead.
Jamey Wright (3-2) failed to record an out in the seventh and surrendered four runs to be credited with the loss. Robinson Tejeda was charged with three runs and didn't retire a batter in the ill-fated inning.
Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton hit his AL-best 15th homer of the season and knocked in two runs to up his major league-leading total to 63.
Heading to the hill for the Rangers tonight will be 24-year-old right-hander Doug Mathis, who will be starting in place of Vicente Padilla. Padilla is still in Nicaragua dealing with a family issue.
Mathis will be making just the second major league start of his career. He made his first start against the Indians on May 25 and received a no-decision in his team's 2-1 win, surrendering one run and seven hits in six innings.
Cleveland will counter with 23-year-old lefty Aaron Laffey, who has won three of his last four starts. Laffey, starting in place of the injured Fausto Carmona, picked up the win on Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox after he allowed two runs (1 earned) and seven hits in six innings to up his season record to 3-3 and lower his ERA to 1.59.
He has never faced the Rangers.
Cleveland comes into tonight's series opener on a down note, having lost the final two games of its three-game series to the Kansas City Royals over the weekend, including a 6-1 setback in Sunday's finale at Kauffman Stadium.
Paul Byrd (2-5) was charged with the loss after allowing nine hits and six runs over just 4 1/3 frames. Grady Sizemore hit a solo homer for the Indians, who have dropped three of their last four and 12 of 15.
Texas won two of three from the Indians earlier in the year but is just 9-12 in the series since the start of the 2006 campaign. Cleveland has also won five of its last six in Arlington.
