Pitching lifts Texas to 4-game sweep

Everybody is pitching in for the surging Texas Rangers.

C.J. Wilson and two relievers combined for the Rangers' sixth shutout in their last 20 games, and Texas beat the Indians yesterday, 2-0, for its first four-game sweep in Cleveland in nearly 33 years.

"That's three shutouts [in five games] on the trip against pretty good teams," manager Ron Washington said.

Mitch Moreland and Elvis Andrus homered as AL West-leading Texas wrapped up a 6-1 trip to Tampa Bay and Cleveland, and won for the eighth time in nine games overall.

The slumping Indians still lead the AL Central despite dropping nine of 12.

"These guys came in and outplayed us," manager Manny Acta said. "They have a very good team and showed us why they're the American League champs. They're talented up and down. They're very deep, too. The title is probably going to have to run through Texas again."

Texas' last four-game road sweep was at Minnesota in April 1999.

"What, are we going to suddenly become road warriors?" Washington said. "I want to be a warrior, period, on the road or at home. We're really playing good baseball."

Texas' only other four-game sweep in Cleveland came in August 1978 - 2 years before Wilson (6-3) was born.

David Murphy had three hits for Texas, which outscored the Indians in the series by 24-6.

Cleveland has lost six in a row at home since opening the season 19-4 at Progressive Field. The Indians have only two runs in their last 29 innings.

In other games:

* At Boston, Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run homer to reach 50 RBI, and Carl Crawford had a three-run shot, powering John Lackey and the Red Sox to a 6-3 victory for a series sweep over the Oakland Athletics.

* At Chicago, Ryan Raburn hit a grand slam, Miguel Cabrera homered for the second straight day and Detroit topped the White Sox, 7-3 and moved within 2 1/2 games of first-place Cleveland in the AL Central.

* At Kansas City, Brian Duensing pitched eight sharp innings and Jason Repko snapped an 0-for-14 skid and drove in three runs, giving Minnesota a 6-0 victory over the Royals and its first four-game sweep in almost 4 years.

* At Baltimore, Adam Lind went 4-for-4 with two homers and three RBI to back another winning effort by lefthander Jo-Jo Reyes, and Toronto roughed up Jeremy Guthrie in a 7-4 victory over the Orioles.

Reyes (2-4) allowed three runs and five hits in 6 innings to earn his second straight victory after going 28 consecutive starts without a win.

* At Anaheim, Mark Teixeira homered twice against his former team, Nick Swisher also went deep, and the New York Yankees beat the Los Angeles Angels, 5-3.

* At Seattle, Miguel Olivo hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer off Joel Peralta in the eighth inning as the Mariners defeated Tampa Bay, 9-6.

* Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka is preparing for surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right elbow.

Matsuzaka spoke for the first time since the Red Sox placed him on the 60-day disabled list so he can have Tommy John surgery, likely this week.

Matsuzaka is in the fifth year of a 6-year deal he signed when Boston brought him over from Japan. With a recovery time of 12 to 14 months, his future with the Red Sox is uncertain.

In eight appearances this year, including seven starts, he is 3-3 with a 5.30 ERA. In his career with Boston, he is 49-30 with a 4.25 ERA.