Undermanned Rangers clip Tribe

The Indians Victor Martinez tries to score, but he is tagged out by Rangers pitcher Brandon McCarthy in the fourth inning.

CLEVELAND On a day of multiple moves, the last one the Texas Rangers made was to line up in the infield and shake hands.

They won, and it was a feeling they wouldn t dare trade away.

Brandon McCarthy got his first win in more than two months, beating 13-game winner Fausto Carmona to lead the trade-happy Texas Rangers to a 3-1 win over the Cleveland Indians last night.

It was a big boost for McCarthy and a big boost for us, said manager Ron Washington, who lost his top player and closer in separate trades. We played pretty good against a pretty good team.

McCarthy (5-7) had been winless since May 27, with three losses and four no-decisions since a 14-1 victory over Houston in an interleague game.

But the right-hander, who made just one start in June and went on the disabled list because of a blister on his middle finger, baffled the Indians and took a shutout into the seventh before Ryan Garko homered. He allowed four hits in 62/3 innings.

Carmona (13-5) was unbeaten in five July starts and was bidding to become the majors second pitcher with 14 wins. He allowed three runs two earned and five hits in seven innings.

Nelson Cruz homered for the last-place Rangers.

After Eric Gagne was traded to the Red Sox, Washington was left without a proven closer. He used Frank Francisco to get through the seventh before going with C.J. Wilson, who got the final four outs for his first save of the season.

The Indians, who didn t pull the trigger on any deals at the deadline, have scored two runs or less in six of eight games. Cleveland dropped to 2-6 on a 10-game homestand.

We re trying to stay positive, Casey Blake said. It has happened before. Runs are tough to come by and then all of a sudden we ll score 10. I wish we had some answers. We re still all right, but we re letting some opportunities slip away.

Cruz snapped Carmona s 22-innning scoreless streak and gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead in the fifth with his sixth homer.

It was the first homer off Carmona in 381/3 innings in July.

The Rangers tacked on two runs one earned in the sixth, when Carmona briefly lost his control and the Indians defense didn t bail him out.

Ian Kinsler walked leading off, and hustled to third when Michael Young singled to right. Young advanced on the throw, and the Rangers loaded the bases when Carmona plunked Sammy Sosa.

Marlon Byrd followed with a hard grounder to third that Blake should have knocked down, but it scooted past him for a two-run error.