(Sports Network) - Cleveland pitcher Fausto Carmona will try to keep his recent unbeaten streak intact tonight, when he leads the struggling Indians in the opener of a three-game set versus the Texas Rangers at Progressive Field.

Carmona is 3-0 with a 2.27 earned run average over his previous six starts, and did not record a decision the last time out on May 17 at Cincinnati. He was solid through 7 1/3 innings, yielding just a run and four hits in a 4-2 loss. Carmona tossed a five-hit shutout the outing before versus Toronto.

The right-hander from Santo Domingo is 1-2 with a 3.48 ERA in three career starts against Texas. Carmona went 1-1 in two starts against the Rangers last season.

Cleveland hopes Carmona can break its recent slump, as the ballclub lost every game of its recent six-game road trip against the Reds and White Sox. In Thursday's 3-1 loss in the series finale at Chicago's U.S. Cellular Field, Grady Sizemore knocked in the lone run for the Tribe and Ben Francisco had the other hit in defeat.

Indians starting pitcher Aaron Laffey was dealt the loss after he was touched for two runs on six hits in seven-plus frames. In injury news for Cleveland, catcher Victor Martinez left Thursdays game with a left index finger injury. He is listed as questionable for tonight.

The Indians will open a six-game homestand tonight versus Texas and Chicago, and sit 4 1/2 games behind the White Sox in the AL Central division.

Texas won the last two matchups of a four-game series with Minnesota at the Metrodome to open a 10-game road trip. It squeezed out an 8-7 win in 10 innings on Thursday, as Josh Hamilton cracked a solo home run in the top of the 10th inning to lead the way. Hamilton finished 3-for-5 with two runs batted in, while David Murphy also had three hits for the Rangers, who have won 11 of their last 16 games.

Joaquin Benoit was the winner despite blowing the save and giving up two runs in two innings of work. Texas starter Vicente Padilla, who had a 4-0 record and 1.60 earned run average in his last five starts, only lasted five innings and surrendered three runs on seven hits and a pair of walks.

C.J. Wilson threw a perfect bottom of the 10th to close out the win and record his ninth save of the 2008 campaign. Texas, which is four games off the top spot in the AL West, will also visit Tampa Bay for three games on this current swing.

Toeing the rubber for the Rangers tonight will be Kason Gabbard, who is 1-1 with a 3.12 ERA in seven starts this season.

Gabbard ended a streak of no-decisions the last time out, but it was a loss versus Houston on May 18. He gave up a season-high nine hits and five runs in five innings of work, as Texas suffered a 5-4 setback.

The left-handed Oxford, Ohio native is 0-1 with a 6.97 earned run average in two career starts.

Cleveland is 11-7 versus Texas since the start of the 2006 season.