Indians blank Rangers, 1-0

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Michael Bourn homered to lead off the first inning and Justin Masterson took a shutout into the eighth inning, outdueling Texas’ Yu Darvish in the Cleveland Indians’ 1-0 win over the Rangers on Saturday night.

Masterson (12-7), an American League All-Star, struck out eight and allowed five hits in 72/3 innings. That was enough to beat Darvish (9-5), who struck out 11 and held the Indians to three hits in six innings.

Darvish’s only mistake came on his second pitch of the game when Bourn hit a line drive that barely cleared the wall in right field.

Chris Perez pitched the ninth for his 14th save. Masterson retired the first two hitters in the eighth but was pulled after Nelson Cruz’s two-out single. Joe Smith retired Adrian Beltre on a line drive to left that was caught on the warning track.

The Rangers have lost 11 of 14 and are 2-7 since the All-Star break.

Masterson had struggled against the Rangers before Saturday, going 0-4 with a 7.54 ERA in eight career appearances. He retired nine straight batters before Cruz’s single and was given a standing ovation by the 24,242 fans as he walked to the dugout.

Masterson worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth by retiring Cruz on a grounder.

Rangers’ Scheppers attacked on walk in Cleveland

Rangers pitcher Tanner Scheppers sustained facial bruises after he said he was “sucker-punched” while walking in downtown Cleveland this week.

Scheppers had cuts above his nose and bruising around his left eyes when he spoke to reporters prior to Saturday night’s game against the Indians.

“I’m just lucky nothing serious happened,” Scheppers said.

Scheppers said he was attacked Thursday night.

Scheppers said he didn’t file a police report.

The reliever said he was going out to dinner a few blocks from the team’s hotel after the Rangers arrived in Cleveland on Thursday night following their afternoon game in Texas.

Scheppers said he was “sucker-punched by several young males” and knocked to the sidewalk, but never lost consciousness. Scheppers said he wasn’t robbed and his attackers ran away.

The 26-year-old Scheppers said he was examined by a team doctor after the incident. He said he had a headache at the time but didn’t sustain a concussion.