CLEVELAND (AP) — The winning finally stopped for Josh Tomlin on Monday night.
Tomlin got his first loss since Sept. 15 after allowing eight runs in 3 2/3 innings, and the Cleveland Indians fell to the Texas Rangers 9-2.
The Indians had won 14 straight games started by Tomlin (7-1) that followed a Cleveland loss.
The Indians committed four errors, including three by third baseman Juan Uribe. Four of the eight runs Tomlin allowed were unearned, and Tomlin also committed a throwing error.
Indians manager Terry Francona was ejected in the third inning by plate umpire Manny Gonzalez. Francona argued that Rangers' Mitch Moreland should have been called out for running inside the baseline while going to first base after hitting a ground ball. Moreland was hit in the back of the helmet by a throw from Tomlin, allowing a run to score and giving Texas a 4-0 lead.
Francona came on the field and had a lengthy discussion with Gonzalez. He was ejected after he went back to the dugout, and then returned to the field for a heated argument with the umpire.
"The runner veered back into the baseline. It looked like he wanted to get in the way of the throw. ... The umpire, I don't know what he saw. I didn't get a very good explanation. I couldn't get any explanation," Francona said. "When I went out the second time after he threw me out, he wouldn't talk to me. I'm still waiting."
Derek Holland (4-4) pitched six innings and gave up one run — a homer by Mike Napoli — to win for the first time since April 30.
Texas took a 2-0 lead on Tomlin two batters into the game, when Ian Desmond hit a home run over the left-field wall.
"I just didn't execute the pitches when I needed to execute them today and put our team in a bad spot early on," Tomlin said. "Once they kind of tasted blood, they just kept piling it on."
Rangers manager Jeff Banister was impressed that his offense was so productive against Tomlin.
"We were able to get on the board early against a guy that's had a lot of success this year," Banister said.
Nomar Mazara hit a three-run homer in the fourth off Austin Adams. It was his ninth of the season and capped a four-run rally. Ryan Merritt made his major league debut in the fifth and pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings.
Marlon Byrd went 4 for 4 and finished a triple short of the cycle, blasting a solo home run in the seventh. Cleveland's other run came on Napoli's team-leading 11th home run of the season in the sixth.
GET GOMES GOING
Indians catcher Yan Gomes batted ninth for the first time Monday and went 0 for 4. He's batting .175 but is tied for first among AL catchers with 25 RBIs. Francona said he's trying to take some of the heat off Gomes by moving him down in the order.
"As tough as it's been, he's got a lot of RBIs for a catcher and what his batting average is," Francona said. "Sometimes we got so fixated on what guys aren't doing and try to remember what they are doing."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rangers: OF Shin-Soo Choo (strained left hamstring) is taking batting practice and continuing a running program in Arlington.
Indians: RHP Carlos Carrasco (strained left hamstring) could rejoin the rotation this week. He threw a bullpen session Monday.
UP NEXT
Rangers: RHP Colby Lewis (4-0) is seeking the first 5-0 start of his career. He was the winning pitcher against the Angels on Wednesday despite allowed a season-high six runs in five innings, his shortest outing of the season.
Indians: RHP Corey Kluber (4-5) has won his last two starts and looks to even his record. He allowed three earned runs over 14 innings, beating the Red Sox and White Sox.
