Rangers-Indians Preview

The Texas Rangers are banged-up and behind in the postseason race, but they won't need to watch the scoreboard for a chance to gain ground on Tuesday.

All they need to do is sweep a doubleheader against the host Cleveland Indians, as the teams open a three-game series one day late after Monday's contest was rained out.

Michael Young and Josh Hamilton remain out of Texas' lineup due to injuries, and it showed Sunday, when the Rangers (76-60) lost 7-0 in the decisive game of their series at Baltimore.

They were also held scoreless in the final six innings of Saturday's 5-4 loss, and they'll have to win the first game Tuesday if they hope to avoid their first three-game losing streak since Aug. 3-5.

"It's unusual," second baseman Ian Kinsler said of the recent slump. "But we're in the middle of a pennant race and we don't have time to really think about that."

The team still picked up one-half game on Boston in the AL wild-card race Monday when the Red Sox lost in Chicago, pulling Texas within 2 1/2 games of a playoff spot.

The Rangers will hope to inch closer Tuesday, and they could have help from Andruw Jones. The outfielder is slated to return from the disabled list, and while he is hitting .217 this year he has provided an occasional burst with 17 home runs and 41 RBIs.

"It would be huge if Jones could step up," manager Ron Washington said. "It certainly would help if he could catch fire down the stretch."

Washington revealed some other plans for his Tuesday lineups. In Young's place at third base, Omar Vizquel will play the first game with Esteban German stepping in for the second.

Ivan Rodriguez will form the battery with rookie Tommy Hunter (7-3, 3.14 ERA) in the afternoon. The best effort of Hunter's impressive rookie season came at Cleveland on Aug. 12, as he tossed 7 2/3 innings without a walk in Texas' 5-0 win.

Taylor Teagarden will then catch Brandon McCarthy in the nightcap, with McCarthy (6-2, 4.61) taking the ball for the second time since a three-month stint on the disabled list. He made a winning return last Tuesday, allowing three hits and one run in 6 1/3 innings of a 5-2 victory over Toronto during another doubleheader.

"I feel I'm on the right path as far as my mechanics," McCarthy told the Rangers' official Web site after dealing with a stress fracture in his shoulder. "There are a lot of positives. I haven't had a sore arm and I feel more consistent in my mechanics."

The duo will try to provide stability for a rotation that has struggled lately. Improved pitching has been the foundation of Texas' return to contention this year, but Rangers starters have a 6.99 ERA in the last seven games.

The Indians (60-76) will have Carlos Carrasco (0-1, 18.00) on the mound to face Hunter in a matchup of rookies. Cleveland acquired the right-hander from Philadelphia in the Cliff Lee trade, but he struggled mightily in his major league debut last Tuesday, allowing six runs in three innings of an 8-5 loss at Detroit.

"He probably had the first-time jitters and we thought three innings were enough," manager Eric Wedge said. "He did work hard to get through those three."

Aaron Laffey (7-4, 3.36) will pitch the nightcap for Cleveland after shutting down the Rangers for 6 2/3 innings in a 5-0 win Aug. 11.

That was the Indians' only win in six games against Texas this year, with the Rangers totaling 38 runs in their five victories. Hamilton has done some of that damage, but Kinsler went 7 for 14 with six RBIs in three games, missing the other three due to injury.