AL West-Leading Rangers Win Again, 6-2 Over Tigers
By STEPHEN HAWKINS/Associated Press
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Adrian Beltre hit the first of three Texas home runs as the AL West-leading Rangers moved closer to a postseason berth with a 6-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.
Robinson Chirinos and Mike Napoli also went deep for the Rangers (86-72), who open a four-game series at home Thursday against the Angels. Los Angeles lost 8-7 Wednesday against Oakland to fall three games back in the division.
Houston, with the same 83-75 record as the Angels, played at Seattle later Wednesday night.
Yovani Gallardo (13-11) allowed nine hits over 5 1-3 innings, but gave up only two runs to win for the first time in his last four starts. The right-hander struck out five and walked one.
Detroit took a 2-0 lead in the first inning for the second night in a row, this time on a two-run double by Tyler Collins.
The Rangers got even in the bottom of the first on Beltre's 17th homer, a shot to left-center field. Beltre has an AL-best 29 RBIs in September, and 74 for the season.
Chirinos led off the second with his 10th homer, putting Texas ahead to stay. Beltre had a two-out double off the left-center wall and scored on Prince Fielder's bloop single before Napoli hit a blast to the wall behind the lower deck of seats in left field.
Tigers left-hander Matt Boyd (1-6) allowed all three Texas homers while giving up seven hits in 2 2-3 innings. He struck out two and walked one.
Beltre is hitting .416 (32 of 77) in his last 19 games, raising his season average from .261 to .283. Shin-Soo Choo, who singled and scored before Beltre's homer in the first, has an eight-game hitting streak and is batting .444 (24 of 54) over his past 14 games, and has reached base in 49 of his last 51.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Tigers: Victor Martinez missed his second consecutive game with a sore left quad. ... 3B Nick Castellanos was back in the lineup after coming out in the first inning Tuesday because of a bruised right finger and sore left wrist.
Rangers: C Robinson Chirinos made only his second start since being activated from the disabled list Sept. 7 after missing more than a month with a left shoulder strain.
UP NEXT
Tigers: After its final off day of the season, Detroit opens a three-game series Friday night at the Chicago White Sox.
Rangers: LHP Derek Holland, 0-2 with an 8.59 ERA his last four starts, pitches the series opener against the Angels.
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