Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre flirted with another cycle (falling a triple shy) and drove in four runs as the Rangers beat Tampa, 6-5, on Monday night. Beltre belted a solo shot (his 25th) in the second, doubled home two runs in the third, and plated one more with a single in the fifth inning.
The Rays jumped out front in the first on Evan Longoria's two-run homer, his seventh, before Texas answered with three runs of their own in the second on back-to-back solo shots from Beltre and Nelson Cruz, and Mike Olt's RBI groundout.
Desmond Jennings led off the third with a triple and B.J. Upton drove him home with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at three, but again, the Rangers answered -- this time on the strength of Beltre's two-run double to right. Tampa tied the game at five apiece in the fifth as Upton drove in one run with a triple and scored on Ben Zobrist's single.
It was only right that Adrian Beltre would decide this game, and he did so with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. It would be the final margin.
Derek Holland (9-6) earned the victory and Joe Nathan saved his 26th game. David Price (15-6) took the loss after allowing six earned runs in four innings.
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