Jack Leiter strikes out career-high 10 as Rangers blow out Guardians 10-0

ARLINGTON, Texas —While Cleveland's hitters continued to struggle at the plate — many of them not even being able to put the ball in play — the Rangers had no such problems when facing Guardians starter Logan Allen. Texas starter Jack Leiter finished with a career-high 10 strikeouts in seven innings, Adolis García, Josh Jung and Cody Freeman each connected on two-run home runs and Texas routed Cleveland 10-0 on Saturday night. Leiter (8-7) gave up just two singles — only one out of the infield — and neither runner advanced. The rookie right-hander didn't allow a walk. "The fastball was electric," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said of Leiter. "He was landing the curveball, landing the slider, landing the changeup ... he kind of had everything working tonight. I thought he got us on our heals right away." Leiter's previous best for strikeouts was seven, and it was the first time the son of former major league pitcher Al Leiter took a scoreless outing past the sixth. Freeman's first major league homer opened the scoring in the second inning, Jung made it 5-0 in the third with his 12th home run and García's 17th put Texas up 9-0 in the fifth. All three two-run shots came off left-hander Allen (7-10), who allowed a career-worst nine runs in five innings as the Guardians lost for the seventh time in eight games. It was their worst shutout loss since the Athletics beat them 17-0 on Aug. 12, 2021. "They got a lot of runs off him tonight," Vogt said. "I thought he fell behind a lot, a couple bad walks, but he made some pitches when he needed to but it just wasn't his night. They jumped him pretty good. I thought they hit a couple pretty good pitches as well, but just kind of fell behind pitching in some bad counts." Ezequiel Duran had a two-RBI double and a run-scoring groundout for Texas. Jung ended a 2-for-24 slide by reaching base and scoring in each of his first three plate appearances. He walked ahead of Freeman's homer and singled before García's shot. Cleveland finished with just three hits — singles by Angel Martinez, Kyle Manzardo and Gabriel Arias — went 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position and left four runners stranded. Key moment Cleveland second baseman Brayan Rocchio botched the transfer from his glove on a relay throw for what should have been an inning-ending double play in the third. Jung's homer followed. "I haven't seen it but it kind of looked like he rushed the transfer just a tick," Vogt said. "I think he he had a little more time than he thought but those things happen. We have to make plays, and we have to make pitches, and we have to have better at-bats." Key stat Two-time World Series MVP Corey Seager was the only player in Texas' starting lineup without a hit. He was replaced at shortstop by Josh Smith with a 9-0 lead in the sixth. Up next Guardians RHP Gavin Williams (8-4, 3.24 ERA) is set to face Merrill Kelly (9-7, 3.35) in the series finale today.