Rangers prospect Profar homers in 1st at-bat

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CLEVELAND — Jurickson Profar made quite a debut at age 19, homering in his first major league at-bat as the Texas Rangers beat the Cleveland Indians 8-3 Sunday.

Profar opened the third inning with a drive over the right-field wall, connecting on a 2-1 pitch from Zach McAllister (5-6). Profar doubled his next time up as a late substitute after second baseman Ian Kinsler was scratched with a stiff back.

The teen apparently forgot it was his turn to hit in the fifth. With Luis Martinez on first with a single, Profar wasn’t even in the on-deck circle. Suddenly, he grabbed a bat, ran to the plate and flied out on the second pitch.

Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre and David Murphy all hit solo home runs in the Texas fifth.

Derek Holland (10-6) gave up two runs over seven innings as the AL West-leading Rangers took two of three in the series. Texas matched its best record through 133 games, having also gone 79-54 in 1999.

Cleveland dropped to 6-29 since July 27.

Batting ninth, Profar went 2 for 4.

Profar, the first player born in 1993 to play in the majors, became the youngest major leaguer to hit a homer since current teammate Adrian Beltre did it in 1998 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, also at age 19.

Profar is the first player to homer his first time up in a Rangers uniform. The last player to do it in franchise history was Brant Alyea for the Washington Senators in 1965. The Senators moved to Texas in 1972.

Profar is the third-youngest player in Rangers history behind pitchers David Clyde and Wilson Alvarez. He hit .281 with 14 homers and 62 RBIs at Double-A Frisco and homered in the Futures Game in July in Kansas City during All-Star week.

Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus had three hits. He has hit in all 29 of his career games against Cleveland.

After Profar’s homer, the Rangers sent seven more batters to the plate in the third. Nelson Cruz had an RBI double and David Murphy a two-run single to make it 4-0.

Carlos Santana’s two-run homer, his 14th, got Cleveland within 4-2 in the bottom half.

Thomas Neal got his first hit, an RBI double in the eighth in his debut for Cleveland to make it 8-3.

Hamilton lined the first pitch of the fifth into the seats in right for his 37th homer. Beltre followed with his 27th — and eighth in 11 games. It was the third time this year the duo homered in consecutive at-bats. One out later, Murphy hit his 13th.

Holland won his third straight start. The left-hander also moved to 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in five career starts against Cleveland.

McAllister gave up 11 hits and seven runs over five innings, falling to 1-4 with a 6.08 ERA over his last seven starts. Cleveland’s starting staff has a 6.55 ERA, worst in the majors in the second half — the biggest reason for the Indians’ 12-37 record since the All-Star break.

NOTES: Ron Washington got his 506th win as Texas manager, tying Johnny Oates for second in Rangers history behind Bobby Valentine (581). … According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Profar is the third teenager to homer in his first at-bat, joining the Giants’ Whitey Lockman in 1945 and Reds’ Ted Tappe in 1950. … Texas is 50-36 all-time at Progressive Field, the second-highest winning percentage (.581) of any team. The New York Yankees are .633 and Cleveland is .553. … Cleveland recalled RHP Frank Herrmann from Triple-A Columbus. He had a 4.76 ERA in four appearances with the Indians earlier this year. … Texas begins a four-game series Monday in Kansas City. RHP Yu Darvish (13-9) faces Royals LHP Bruce Chen (10-10) … The Indians start a three-game series Monday in Detroit with RHP Corey Kluber (0-3) against Tigers RHP Anibal Sanchez (7-11).

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