Beltre Helps Rangers Top Braves In 10 Innings
ATLANTA (AP) – Adrian Beltre drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the 10th inning and the Texas Rangers beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 on Saturday for a rare one-run road win.
The Rangers were previously 1-11 in one-run road games before winning this one after blowing an early 4-0 lead.
There was a rain delay of 2 hours, 16 minutes in the fifth inning.
Ian Kinsler led off the 10th with a double off Scott Proctor (1-1), who was pitching in his third straight game. Kinsler stayed at second on a groundout by Elvis Andrus, who had three hits. Proctor issued an intentional walk to Josh Hamilton before Beltre lined the run-scoring single to center.
Mark Lowe (2-1) struck out the side in the ninth. Neftali Feliz pitched a perfect 10th for his 14th save.
The Rangers' only other road win in a one-run game this season was a 5-4 decision in 11 innings at Kansas City on May 18.
The Braves have lost five of six, including the first two games of the series.
Matt Harrison, making his first appearance against Atlanta after he was drafted by the Braves in 2003 and traded to Texas in 2007, was denied the win even after waiting through the rain delay to remain in the game.
Harrison gave up three runs, one earned, on three hits in 6 1-3 innings. He left with a 4-3 lead.
The Braves tied it in the eighth. Left-hander Darren Oliver made a wild throw to first for an error after fielding Jordan Schafer's bunt, allowing Schafer to race to second.
Dan Uggla, who had a run-scoring double in the third, followed with a tying RBI double off the top of the wall in center, only inches shy of a go-ahead home run.
The Braves, who had three errors in Friday night's 6-2 loss to Texas, added two fielding miscues in the first inning Saturday, helping the Rangers score two runs.
Kinsler led off with a single and scored from first when a hit-and-run single to right field by Andrus skipped past Jason Heyward for the first error.
Andrus scored when Hamilton's grounder bounced off first baseman Freddie Freeman's glove for another error.
The Rangers pushed the lead to 4-0 in the third. Andrus singled and scored from third on a double-steal. Michael Young's single drove in Hamilton, who reached on a fielder's choice grounder.
Harrison recorded eight straight outs before Derek Lowe's double over right fielder Mitch Moreland's head with two outs in the third. Left fielder Nelson Cruz dropped Schafer's line drive for an error, allowing Lowe to score. Uggla's double drove in Schafer to cut the Texas lead to 4-2.
Lowe gave up seven hits and four runs, three earned, in five innings. He made his eighth straight start without a win.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
