ARLINGTON, Texas — Adrian Beltre had a feeling like none other he has experienced on a baseball field when he saw his three children coming toward him. Then they kept running to the wall in right-center field.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Adrian Beltre had a feeling like none other he has experienced on a baseball field when he saw his three children coming toward him. Then they kept running to the wall in right-center field.
Only after helping unveil a logo commemorating Beltre’s 3,000th career hit did the kids return to hug their father , the 38-year-old Texas Rangers third baseman who had just become the first player from the Dominican Republic, and 31st overall, in the major leagues to do that.
“What happened today after the hit, it was the best moment in my life,” Beltre said. “When I saw that, I felt like I was in the cloud, because I really saw the joy in their faces. It was a nice moment to enjoy with them, my family, my wife.”
Beltre reached the milestone in the fourth inning of a 10-6 loss Sunday to Baltimore Orioles, who got homers from Jonathan Schoop and Welington Castillo in a five-run fifth.
“It’s an honor to be here for it. Especially, we couldn’t have drawn it up better where we win and we get a chance to see that,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “Everybody in the game has a lot of respect for him, not only statistically but the way he’s handled success over the years.”
The Rangers were already down 4-0 when Beltre, who finished his 2,771st career game 1 for 5, had a hard hit down the line — fittingly past third base — for a double.
A banner was unfurled high above straightaway center field congratulating him. His teammates, who had crowded on the rail of the first-base dugout to be as close as possible to the historic moment, flooded onto the field to celebrate with him.
Beltre’s two daughters and 10-year-old son Adrian Jr. left their front-row seats near the dugout they had shared with family members, including Beltre’s parents.
“We have a lot of great baseball players in the Dominican Republic, and I’m proud to be one of them,” Beltre said, calling the moment even more special being able to share it with his father on what was Father’s Day in the Dominican Republic.
Now in his 20th big league season, he is only the third player who is primarily a third baseman in the 3,000-hit club, joining Hall of Famers George Brett and Wade Boggs.
The milestone came only minutes after former Rangers catcher Ivan Rodriguez finished his induction speech at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Barring unusual circumstances, getting 3,000 hits has traditionally been a ticket to the Hall.
Rangers manager Jeff Banister, who referred to Beltre as the “next Hall of Famer” said July 30 will forever be one that Texas fans will remember as “Ranger Day.”
“Like we told him earlier, he means so much to this organization, to this team, a mentor to every single player and coach,” Banister said. “We thanked him for allowing us to tag along this journey with him, and be part of it.”
A pre-recorded message from Rodriguez in Cooperstown congratulating Beltre for 3,000 hits was played on the stadium video boards after the fourth ended.
“I just think it’s amazing,” said Jeff Bagwell, who was inducted with Rodriguez. “He’s just an amazing baseball player, arguably one of the best third basemen of all time. He can do everything. He plays hurt, he hits for average, he hits for power, drives in runs. He’s a great, great player.”
The only other current active player in the 3,000-hit club is Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, who is tied with Hall of Fame player Craig Biggio for 22nd all-time at 3,060 hits.
Beltre is tied for 30th place on the hits list with Roberto Clemente. Al Kaline (3,007) and Boggs (3,010) are next up on the list.
Wade Miley (5-9) went five innings and one of the four hits he allowed being to Beltre, who grounded a 3-0 pitch that went past the bag and then ricocheted off the side wall into left field. The Orioles lefty also got one of his five strikeouts when Beltre went down swinging in the second inning.
“As a fan of the game, what a career that guy’s had. I wasn’t trying to let him get a hit by any means, but at the same time as a fan, this had to happen,” said Miley, who joined his teammates on the field applauding for Beltre. “He’s one of those guys that as a kid you watch. That’s the kind of respect I have for him.”
Rougned Odor homered twice and drove in five runs for Texas. His two-run single in the fourth scored Beltre, who reached on a wild pitch after striking out in the eighth before Odor’s second homer. Nomar Mazara also went deep.
Orioles closer Zach Britton came on with two on in the ninth, striking out Mazara and getting Beltre on a fielder’s choice grounder to end the game . Britton has converted an AL-record 57 consecutive save opportunities, eight this season.
Beltre’s first hit came as a 19-year-old rookie with the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 24, 1998, four years after they had signed him. After seven seasons with the Dodgers, he spent five years in Seattle and one in Boston before joining the Rangers as a free agent in 2011, the year he finally made it to a World Series.
The double was Beltre’s 1,111th hit with the Rangers, after 949 with the Dodgers, 751 with the Mariners, and 189 in his only season with the Red Sox before going to Texas as a free agent. A power guy, he has never bunted for a hit.
It was Beltre’s 605th career double, matching Paul Molitor for 14th all-time. That also matched Mel Ott for 20th with 5,041 total bases; and Beltre’s 454 homers are 38th on that list. He is also a five-time Gold Glove winner who had a career-best and franchise-record 62 consecutive games at third base without an error before a throwing error Saturday night — and another Sunday.
“Never in my life did I think about collecting 3,000 hits, playing 20 years, hitting 400-plus homers. I never expected that, I never saw myself doing that,” Beltre said. “When you play every day … and do the best you can to help your ball club, sometimes you accumulate numbers.”
Around the League
GIANTS 3, DODGERS 2
LOS ANGELES — Kyle Farmer’s two-run double in the 11th inning in his first major league at-bat lifted the Los Angeles Dodgers to their eighth straight win, 3-2 over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday night.
Corey Seager doubled down the right-field line with one out for his third hit of the game and Justin Turner was walked intentionally. Farmer then lined a 3-2 pitch from Luis Suarez (0-1) down the right-field line, scoring both runners for the Dodgers’ 31st comeback victory.
Joe Panik had given the Giants a 2-1 lead in the top of the inning with a single up the middle through a drawn-in infield that scored Kelby Tomlinson from third.
The Dodgers won for the 39th time in 45 games, and completed their 14th sweep this season. Los Angeles turned a franchise-record six double plays as they improved to 26-3 at home since June 7.
Pedro Baez (3-1) got the last two outs in the top of the 11th.
CUBS 4, BREWERS 2
MILWAUKEE — Victor Caratini hit his first career home run, a solo shot that broke a tie in the seventh and backed John Lackey’s solid six-inning start to help Chicago beat Milwaukee.
Caratini homered to straightaway center off a 1-2 fastball from Zach Davies (12-5) with one out in the seventh for a 3-2 lead, delighting the bevy of Cubs fans who made the trek north from Chicago. The Cubs took two of three games in an important series at Miller Park.
With the non-waiver trade deadline looming Monday, the Cubs increased their lead in the National League Central over the second-place Brewers to 2 1/2 games.
Lackey (8-9) struck out seven and allowed five hits over six innings, including Domingo Santana’s game-tying, two-run homer in the sixth that just landed beyond outfielder Jason Heyward’s outstretched glove in the right-field corner.
TIGERS 13, ASTROS 1
DETROIT — Justin Verlander pitched six scoreless innings in what could be his last start with Detroit.
Justin Upton matched a career best with six RBIs for the Tigers, who handed the Astros their first back-to-back losses since June 12-13.
Upton had four hits, including a seventh-inning grand slam, and scored twice.
In his last start before Monday’s trade deadline, Verlander (6-7) gave up five singles and three walks while striking out six.
The subject of trade rumors since last winter, Verlander received a long standing ovation from the crowd of 31,970 when he walked off the mound after the sixth inning.
Lance McCullers Jr. (7-3), whose dad pitched for the Tigers in 1990, allowed five runs on eight hits in five-plus innings.
MARINERS 9, METS 1
SEATTLE — James Paxton tossed six scoreless innings, becoming the first Mariners pitcher to win six games in a single month, and Nelson Cruz had a three-run homer to pace Seattle.
Cruz provided Paxton with an early cushion with a three-run shot in the first inning and Leonys Martin, recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A, homered in his first at-bat and saved a possible run with a diving catch in right field.
Paxton (11-3) had runners aboard in each of his six innings. The lefthander scattered six hits, striking out eight and walking none, with two hit batters in a 108-pitch outing. Paxton, sidelined most of May with a left forearm strain, was 6-0 in six July starts, allowing six earned runs in 39 1/3 innings with no home runs.
Seth Lugo (5-3) allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings, striking out five and walking none.
PIRATES 7, PADRES 1
SAN DIEGO — Andrew McCutchen hit three home runs for the third time in his career to lift Pittsburgh over San Diego.
McCutchen’s big day backed Gerrit Cole (9-7), who pitched seven innings of five-hit ball for the Pirates.
It was just the second win in eight games for the Pirates, who ended the Padres’ four-game winning streak.
McCutchen has 22 homers. He connected with two outs in the first off left-hander Clayton Richard (5-12), with the ball clearing the fence just out of the reach of center fielder Manuel Margot. He went deep again in the eighth off rookie Jose Torres and then homered off the right-field foul pole with two outs in the ninth.
It was McCutchen’s third multi-homer game of the season and 15th of his career. He also made a nice diving catch in center field to end the eighth.
RAYS 5, YANKEES 3
NEW YORK — Corey Dickerson hit a go-ahead, two-run single in a three-run third, and Tampa Bay’S bullpen allowed one hit over five scoreless innings to salvage the finale of a four-game series.
Sergio Romo, Dan Jennings, Steve Cishek and Tommy Hunter pitched hitless relief after rookie Jacob Faria started just four of 20 batters with strikes and got only 12 outs on his 24th birthday.
Cishek (2-1) pitched 1 2/3 innings, and Colome got three outs for his 30th save in 35 chances. Brett Gardner singled with one out in the ninth, advanced on a wild pitch and Clint Frazier walked. Colome then retired Aaron Judge on a flyout and Matt Holliday on a groundout.
Tampa Bay, which had been 0-6 at Yankee Stadium this year, won despite striking out 16 times. The Rays had lost eight of their previous 10 games.
Ronald Torreyes homered and drove in a career-high three RBIs for the Yankees, who had won six straight and eight of nine.
ROYALS 5, RED SOX 3
BOSTON — Alex Gordon’s two-run triple capped a four-run eighth inning, and Kansas City rallied to beat Boston a day after its season-high, nine-game winning streak was snapped.
Alcides Escobar added a two-run single in the eighth and drove in three runs for the Royals, who lost in extra innings on Saturday after taking the series opener.
Rookie Rafael Devers hit a solo homer for Boston and starter Drew Pomeranz gave up one run on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings in his 100th career start.
Jason Hammel (5-8) allowed three runs on seven hits to end a six-start winless streak. His last victory also came against the Red Sox, at home on June 19.
Kelvin Herrera got the final three outs for his 23rd save, getting Mookie Betts to fly out with the bases loaded.
BLUE JAYS 11, ANGELS 10
TORONTO — Steve Pearce hit his second game-ending grand slam in just four days Toronto pulled off the biggest ninth-inning comeback in team history, rallying for seven runs to beat Los Angeles.
Pearce connected with one out off Bud Norris (1-4). On Thursday, Pearce’s slam with two outs in the 10th inning lifted Toronto over Oakland 8-4.
Matt Dermody (1-0) worked three innings for the win.
Albert Pujols hit two home runs for the Angels, who were bidding for their first sweep since May.
WHITE SOX 3, INDIANS 1
CHICAGO — Matt Davidson hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning, and Chicago ended Cleveland’s nine-game winning streak.
Chicago had lost 14 of 15 coming into the game, including seven straight at home, and traded fan favorite Melky Cabrera to Kansas City shortly before the first pitch as part of a roster overhaul.
Jose Abreu got the ninth-inning rally started with a double off Bryan Shaw (4-5) to set up Davidon’s heroics, the 21st home run of his rookie season.
Tyler Clippard (2-6) pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the win, the first for the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field since July 2. That game featured strong pitching from Jose Quintana and David Robertson, both of whom have since been traded.
CARDINALS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2
ST. LOUIS — Lance Lynn threw six strong innings and Jose Martinez homered and drove in three runs as St. Louis beat Arizona for its fifth win in seven games.
Lynn (9-6), the subject of trade rumors the past few days, gave up two runs and four hits. He has allowed no more than two earned runs in each of his last six starts.
Lynn retired the last eight batters he faced in improving to 5-0 lifetime against Arizona. Trevor Rosenthal struck out the side in the ninth to pick up his sixth save in eight opportunities.
Martinez hit a two-run drive in the fourth to tie it, then had a sacrifice fly in the sixth that scored Jedd Gyorko with the go-ahead run.
Taijuan Walker (6-5) allowed three runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out 10.
REDS 6, MARLINS 4
MIAMI — Rookie Luis Castillo pitched a career-best eight innings, Tucker Barnhart drove in three runs and Cincinnati ended a six-game skid.
Castillo (2-4) allowed one run on three hits, striking out six and walking one. He outpitched Dan Straily (7-7) — the right-handers were traded for each last January as part of a four-player deal.
The Marlins, who got a three-run homer from Marcell Ozuna in the ninth off reliever Raisel Iglesias, had their four-game winning streak snapped. NL home run leader Giancarlo Stanton was held out of Miami’s lineup for the first time since May 31.
PHILLIES 2, BRAVES 1
PHILADELPHIA — Freddy Galvis hit a bases-loaded single to right field in the ninth inning to give Philadelphia its second straight walk-off win.
Andrew Knapp led off the ninth with a double to left off Rex Brothers (1-2). Manager Brian Snitker lifted Brothers for Akeel Morris.
Morris walked pinch-hitter Ty Kelly to put runners on first and second. Cesar Hernandez was trying to advance the runners with a sacrifice, but his bunt stayed just inside the third-base line and Freddie Freeman’s throw was not in time, loading the bases with no outs.
Galvis pulled Morris’ second pitch into right to score Knapp and lift the Phillies to their fourth straight victory and eighth in the last 11.
Kelly’s RBI single in the 11th on Saturday night gave Philadelphia a 4-3 win.
Hector Neris (4-4) pitched a scoreless ninth.
ROCKIES 10, NATIONALS 6
NATIONALS 3, ROCKIES 1
WASHINGTON — Adam Lind and Brian Goodwin homered in the fifth inning, and Washington beat Colorado to split a day-night doubleheader.
In the first game, Charlie Blackmon had four hits and scored four runs, and the Rockies roughed up Erick Fedde in his major league debut.
The Rockies had a 1-0 lead in the second game before Lind’s two-run homer off Jon Gray (3-2). One out later, Goodwin followed with his homer for a two-run lead.
Edwin Jackson (2-1) allowed four hits in seven innings, striking out six. Sean Doolittle got his third save.
In the opener, Kyle Freeland (11-7) went five innings, allowing nine hits and four runs while striking out four.
ATHLETICS 6, TWINS 5, 12 INNINGS
OAKLAND, Calif. — Yonder Alonso homered in the bottom of the 12th inning to lift the Oakland over Minnesota.
Alonzo’s 22nd homer of the season came on the first pitch he saw from Tyler Duffey (0-3) and was his second game-ending home run of his career.
Oakland, which won its second straight after a six-game skid, came in tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the major league lead with eight game-ending hits.
Josh Smith (1-0) pitched two innings to pick up the win.
The Twins lost for the sixth time in seven games and fell to 1-5 on a disastrous West Coast road trip in which they’ve blown leads in every game.