CLEVELAND (AP) — Corey Kluber is struggling to win at home.
The 2014 AL Cy Young Award winner dropped to 1-4 with a 5.29 ERA in Cleveland this year, allowing six runs in the Indians' 7-3 loss to the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.
"Over the course of a 162-game season, you're going to have a bad four- or five-game stretch. You'd like to think it all evens out," said Kluber, who has a 3.18 ERA on the road.
Kluber was removed after the first three hitters in the eighth reached base. He gave up eight hits in seven innings.
Bryan Holaday and Jurickson Profar homered off Kluber, and the AL West-leading Rangers won for the ninth time in their last 11 games.
"In the first seven innings, they didn't do much against Corey outside of those home runs," Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. "I thought he pitched pretty well until the eighth."
Cleveland has lost three straight after briefly moving into the AL Central lead on Saturday. Lonnie Chisenhall had three RBIs, including a two-run homer in the seventh.
Texas has won the first two games of the series, outscoring Cleveland 16-5.
Colby Lewis allowed two hits over six shutout innings, improving to 5-0 for the first time in his major league career.
"He knows how to pitch," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "He presents a challenge to hitters because they can't sit on one single pitch."
Lewis has won his last three starts and has pitched at least six innings in 10 of 11 outings this season. The 36-year-old right-hander gave up singles to Chisenhall and Rajai Davis in the third. He is 3-0 and has allowed five earned runs over 26 innings in five road starts.
"For us to put the runs up that we did, and to pitch against a guy like Kluber, you know you've got to keep it close," Lewis said.
Sam Dyson got two outs for his sixth save in seven chances.
Holaday, whose two-run homer put Texas ahead in the third, hit Kluber's first pitch following Jared Hoying's single.
"I didn't want to mess around and see what else he could throw me, because he's pretty good out there," Holaday said.
Profar's two-out homer in the fifth landed in the right-field seats. The 23-year-old switch-hitter hit a home run on the first pitch of his major league debut, at Progressive Field on Sept. 2, 2012.
"There's a lot of feel-good for him here," Banister said. "He's played well. He has great joy playing the game. You can see it in his face."
Ian Desmond's two-run double in the eighth extended his hitting streak to nine games. Elvis Andrus was 1 for 4 and has hit safely in 29 of 30 career games at Progressive Field.
Hoying, a native of northwest Ohio, got his major league RBI with a ninth-inning single and had two hits.
SURGING
Chisenhall batted .313 in 78 plate appearances in May, raising his season average to .292. He ended a string of 42 games without a home run on the final day of the month. "Lonnie had his legs under him and really drove that ball," Francona said. "He's hit the ball well for a while, but having his power back will help us a ton."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rangers: RHP Shawn Tolleson (family medical emergency list) is to throw a bullpen session Wednesday.
Indians: RHP Joba Chamberlain (left intercostal strain) will throw a simulated game Saturday. He's been on the 15-day disabled list since May 23.
UP NEXT
LHP Cole Hamels, scheduled to start for Texas on Wednesday, had won a career-best 12 consecutive decisions before losing 9-1 to Pittsburgh last Friday. Cleveland is to start RHP Trevor Bauer, 2-2 with a 4.19 ERA in six starts after opening the season with six bullpen appearances.
