Beltre At 2,998 Hits After 2 More In 8-2 Texas Win Over O's
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Adrian Beltre had two RBI singles to increase his hit total to 2,998, Elvis Andrus homered and the Texas Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-2 on Friday night.
Nomar Mazara had three doubles, driving in two runs in the first to put the Rangers ahead to stay. He also doubled in the third and fifth innings, scoring both times on singles by Beltre.
Andrew Cashner (6-8) allowed only a solo homer by Jonathan Schoop in his seven innings. The Rangers right-hander struck out four and walked two.
Beltre, the 38-year-old third baseman in his 20th major league season, is on the brink of becoming only the 31st player in the 3,000-hit club. Ichiro Suzuki is the only current active player with more than 3,000 hits after reaching that milestone last season.
After grounding out in the first, Beltre shattered his bat on a bloop single to center in the third, grounded a ball up the middle for a hit in the fifth, and had an infield popout in the seventh. He is 9 for 14 through four games of a nine-game home stand.
Beltre, who won his fifth Gold Glove last season, has also played 62 consecutive games at third base without an error — a career best and the club record.
Chris Tillman (1-6) allowed eight runs and nine hits in 4 1-3 innings. He struck out six, but trailed 2-0 before recording his first out. He has allowed 17 runs in the first inning of his 14 starts.
Shin-Soo Choo drew a leadoff walk on Korean Heritage Night at the ballpark before Andrus singled and Mazara doubled. Choo walked again to start the third, before Andrus extended his career high with his 14th homer.
Tillman was gone after Mike Napoli's double in the fifth, which scored Mazara and moved Beltre to third. A two-run single by Carlos Gomez off reliever Richard Bleier made it 8-0.
Schoop's 23rd homer of the season, and eighth of July, came in the sixth. Chris Davis had an RBI single in the eighth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: OF Anthony Santander (elbow/shoulder), a Rule 5 draft pick, had two doubles in his first rehabilitation game for Double-A Bowie on Thursday night. Bowie's scheduled game Friday night was rained out.
Rangers: C Robinson Chirinos was back in the lineup for the first time since spraining his left ankle in a home-plate collision last Sunday at Tampa Bay. ... RHP Jake Diekman (colon) plans to throw another bullpen session Saturday, two days after throwing 35 pitches. He hopes to make his season debut by mid-August.
UP NEXT
Baltimore RHP Kevin Gausman is 4-0 in his last six starts, and the only run he allowed over 24 1/3 innings in the wins was scored by the Rangers on July 19.
RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (3-0, 4.53 ERA), the 32-year-old Rangers rookie, makes his first start since June 30. He pitches in the spot of RHP Tyson Ross, who went on the 10-day disabled list with a blister on the index finger of his pitching hand after his start Sunday in Tampa Bay.
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