Aug 4 (The Sports Xchange) - Adrian Beltre hit for his third
career cycle to inspire the Texas Rangers to a wild 12-9 victory
over the Houston Astros at Globe Life Park on Monday.
Beltre, who completed the cycle with a fifth-inning home run
off Mike Fiers, is just the fourth player to have three career
cycles and the first to accomplish that feat since Babe Herman
managed it in 1933.
The third baseman's offensive heroics were just part of a
contest in which the Rangers batted around twice, chased Houston
starter Lance McCullers after one-third of an inning and had 15
hits.
All of the big hitting proved vital, as Houston, which at
one point trailed 11-3, got to within three runs in the seventh
inning but were ultimately unable to put a damper on Beltre's
night.
"It shouldn't be difficult because I'm fast," the
36-year-old Beltre told reporters of his rapid base running.
"It's special but when you play for a long time, you have to
accumulate some stuff. I didn't expect to be hitting cycles at
this age. I'm humbled."
Beltre, who finished 4-for-5, started his run to the cycle
with a two-run triple in the first that was part of a six-run
surge. He doubled in the second and singled in the third.
He completed the cycle with a homer off Fiers, who was
originally slated to start Tuesday's game, by drilling the first
baseball he saw from him in the fifth into the stands in left.
"I didn't expect a cycle in the first four at-bats," Texas
manager Jeff Banister said. "What an incredible feat for him.
He's a true champion in every sense, a true warrior."
The Rangers led 6-3 after two innings and then scored five
times in the third. However, Texas starter Colby Lewis (12-4)
had to hold on as Houston made the game close on a grand slam by
catcher Jason Castro in the fourth inning.
Beltre's homer in the fifth gave the Rangers some insurance
and kept Lewis in line for the win.
Lewis allowed seven runs in six innings on a night when the
Astros nearly matched the Rangers by collecting 13 hits but the
early deficit was too much for Houston to overcome.
"It was disappointing that we lost the game," Houston
manager A.J. Hinch said.
"The silver lining is that we fought back, we battled hard,
we played the whole game, competed down to the last out, which I
wouldn't expect anything less from this team."
(Editing by John O'Brien)