Tribe pummeled again by Texas, 10-0; Carmona, Perez are shelled

By PAUL HOYNES

CLEVELAND — What begins bad, ends bad where the Indians and Rangers are concerned.

When the Indians opened the season on April 6, the Rangers greeted them with a three-game sweep that seems like it happened five years ago rather than five months ago. Now with the season growing short, the Rangers said goodbye the same way.

Texas completed a three-game sweep of the Indians on Wednesday with a 10-0 victory at Progressive Field. The sweep took just over 22 hours as the Rangers scored 31 runs on 48 hits against Indians pitchers.

The Rangers won the season series, 8-1.

“It was ugly early and it was ugly late,” said manager Eric Wedge, who was referring to Wednesday’s game. But the description fit the season series as well.

Fausto Carmona, at a crossroads in his career, continued to confound. He handed the Rangers a 5-0 lead, while recording just two outs in the first inning, before Wedge removed him after 41 pitches. It was the shortest start in his career.

After the game, Carmona, head down, slunk past reporters as he left the clubhouse. He had nothing to say after giving up a three-run homer to Marlon Byrd and a two-run homer to Ivan Rodriguez as Texas sent nine men against him in the first.

Great relief work by Jensen Lewis and Mike Gosling kept the score at 5-0 for the next 7 1/3 innings before Rafael Perez wrapped his mitts around the ninth inning. When the Rangers got done with him, they’d scored five more runs.

A list of all the Indians’ disappointments in 2009 would be long. Near the top would be Carmona and Perez. Carmona opened the season as a No. 2 starter, while Perez was the No. 1 lefty out of the bullpen. Now they look like a No.5 starter and a mop-up reliever.

“Today was a step back,” said Wedge. “It goes without saying.”

There are 23 games left in the season and the Indians are playing like it. They’ve lost seven of their last 10 games. Against Texas, they looked like a team dreaming of cold drinks and hot beaches in October, November and December.

Scott Feldman (16-4, 3.46) threw seven scoreless innings for the Rangers. C.J. Wilson and Willie Eyre completed the six-hitter. Feldman has won seven straight decisions. The Rangers are 31-21 since the All-Star break.