MLB: Beltre becomes first modern day player to hit for three cycles
ARLINGTON, Texas – Adrian Beltre became the first major leaguer since the 1930s to hit for his third career cycle and the Texas Rangers held on for a wild 12-9 victory over the AL West-leading Houston Astros on Monday night.
Beltre’s solo homer in the fifth, a liner deep into the seats in left field, completed the cycle against three Houston pitchers.
A two-run triple by Beltre in the first inning put the Rangers ahead to stay at 3-2. He had a double in the second and a single in the third before his ninth homer of the season made it 12-7.
All three of Beltre’s cycles have come at the Rangers’ ballpark, two for the home team and one as a visitor when he was playing for Seattle on Sept. 1, 2008. The third baseman’s other cycle for Texas was Aug. 24, 2012, against Minnesota.
The last major leaguer with three career cycles was Babe Herman, who had two in 1931 and one in 1933, according to research provided by the Elias Sports Bureau to the Rangers. The only other big leaguers with three career cycles are Bob Meusel (1921, 1922 and 1928) and John Reilly (twice in 1883 and 1890).
Colby Lewis (12-4) had to work hard over six innings for his fourth consecutive victory, giving up seven runs and 10 hits — three of those home runs. The right-hander is 8-1 in 14 career games against Astros, who previously scored only 17 runs in 75 1-3 innings off Lewis.
Shawn Tolleson worked the ninth for his 19th save in 20 chances.
Lance McCullers (5-4), at 21 the youngest starting pitcher in the majors, allowed six runs and seven hits while getting only one out. That came five days after he gave up only one run over seven innings to beat the Los Angeles Angels.
Jason Castro hit a grand slam for Houston, his third homer in 14 at-bats, after rookie Carlos Correa had a two-run shot to put the Astros ahead in the first. Luis Valbuena’s solo homer in the second was his 20th of the season, but first in 83 at-bats since June 23.
Beltre was one of five Rangers players with multiple RBIs in the game.
Shin-Soo Choo, who had a cycle for Texas last month at Colorado, homered to cap the six-run first. Prince Fielder had two RBI singles.
Rougned Odor had a two-run triple when the Rangers scored five runs in the third off Mike Fiers, whose American League debut had been scheduled as the starter Tuesday night. He was traded from Milwaukee on Thursday.
Josh Fields threw 1 2-3 scoreless innings in relief of McCullers before Fiers allowed six runs and seven hits over five innings. Fiers struck out six.
It was the ninth cycle in Rangers’ history, their sixth since the beginning of the 2009 season, twice as many as any other team in the major leagues in that span. Arizona and Colorado both have three cycles in that time.
Arizona in 2012 was the last team with two cycles in the same season. The last American League team with multiple cycles in the same year was Minnesota in 2009.
METS 12, MARLINS 1
MIAMI — Yoenis Cespedes hit three doubles and New York took over first place in the NL East, routing Miami.
Fresh off sweeping Washington, the Mets won their fourth in a row and moved a game ahead of the Nationals for the division lead.
There was a brief delay with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning after Tomas Telis lost control of his bat and it flew into the stands and hit a fan. There was no immediate word on the extent of the man’s injury.
Cespedes, acquired last week from Detroit, played for the third time with the Mets and tied the team record for doubles in a game. He drove in four runs.
Bartolo Colon (10-10) had lost six straight decisions. He pitched eight innings and allowed one run.
Tom Koehler (8-8) was tagged in the Marlins’ most-lopsided loss of the season.
DIAMONDBACKS 6, NATIONALS 4
WASHINGTON — Rookie Zack Godley pitched six scoreless innings to continue a stellar start to his career, and Arizona homered four times to send Washington to a fourth straight loss.
Nick Ahmed homered and had four hits as the Diamondbacks improved to 5-2 on their 10-game, bi-coastal road trip.
Godley (3-0) won two of those games, and with Monday’s victory he becomes the second Arizona pitcher to win in each of his first three major league outings.
David Peralta and Welington Castillo added back-to-back homers off Nationals starter Doug Fister (4-7) and Jake Lamb hit a high-arcing shot in the ninth in Jonathan Papelbon’s home debut in Washington.
Fister allowed five runs over six innings.
BLUE JAYS 5, TWINS 1
TORONTO — David Price struck out 11 over eight innings to win his Blue Jays debut, Josh Donaldson hit a tiebreaking home run and Toronto beat Minnesota in the opener of a four-game series between AL wild-card contenders.
Price (10-4) allowed one run and three hits. He threw 119 pitches, two shy of his season high.
Acquired from Detroit last Thursday for a trio of minor league left-handers, Price received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 45,766 as he walked in from the bullpen before the game.
NBA All-Star Kevin Durant was among those on hand to watch Price work on a sunny afternoon.
The lefty struck out the first two batters he faced and set down four straight before Torii Hunter homered in the second. It was the 12th home run surrendered by Price in 10 career starts at Rogers Centre.
BRAVES 9, GIANTS 8, 12 INNINGS
ATLANTA — Adonis Garcia hit a two-run homer in the 12th inning off Ryan Vogelsong and Atlanta completed its final comeback of the game to beat San Francisco.
Down 6-0 against Matt Cain going into the sixth, the Braves rallied with four runs. A.J. Pierzynski hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth off Santiago Casilla, tying it at 7.
Buster Posey homered early, then hit a go-ahead single in the Giants 12th.
Jace Peterson led off the Braves 12th by reaching on a throwing error by shortstop Brandon Crawford. Vogelsong (7-7), trying to earn the first save of his 11-season career, fell behind in the count and Garcia homered over the center field wall.
Garcia made his major league debut this season and has three home runs in 11 games.
The Giants have lost two in a row for the first time since stopping a seven-game skid in early July.
MARINERS 8, ROCKIES 7
DENVER — Felix Hernandez pitched effectively into the seventh inning, Nelson Cruz homered in a fourth consecutive game to reach 30 for the season, and Seattle beat Colorado.
Kyle Seager homered on the front end of back-to-back shots with Cruz, and Brad Miller added a solo shot among his three hits for the Mariners, who have won three of four since dropping four straight.
Jose Reyes, in his first appearance at Coors Field since being acquired by Colorado in the trade deadline deal that sent Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto, had two RBI singles. Charlie Blackmon added four hits, including two doubles.
Trailing 8-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Rockies scored three runs and had runners at the corners with two outs before Carson Smith induced a game-ending fly out from Blackmon for his 10th save.
RAYS 5, WHITE SOX 4
CHICAGO — Mikie Mahtook singled with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to drive in Logan Forsythe and give Tampa Bay a win over Chicago.
Forsythe started the winning rally with a one-out walk. Evan Longoria had three hits and an RBI.
Rays prospect Richie Shaffer went 0-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch and a walk in four plate appearances before leaving the game in the seventh.
Jake McGee (1-1) pitched a perfect eighth to get the win and Brad Boxberger worked out of a jam in the ninth for his 27th save. David Robertson (4-3) took the loss.
Jose Abreu and Carlos Sanchez each had a two-run home run for Chicago, which has dropped four of five following a hot streak.
PADRES 13, BREWERS 5
MILWAUKEE — Yangervis Solarte hit two home runs and Tyson Ross pitched six effective innings to help San Diego rout Milwaukee.
Solarte hit a solo home run in the first and connected for a three-run shot in the seventh.
Jedd Gyorko also homered and had three hits while Alexi Amarista drove in three runs for the Padres.
Ross (8-8) gave up seven hits and two earned runs in six innings. He struck out five and walked two. He also had an RBI single in the third inning.
Milwaukee starter Wily Peralta (2-6) was ineffective in his second start after spending more than two months on the disabled list with a strained left oblique.
ANGELS 5, INDIANS 4
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Conor Gillaspie hit a go-ahead home run off Corey Kluber and the Los Angeles Angels snapped a six-game losing streak, beating the Cleveland Indians 5-4 Monday night.
Garrett Richards (11-8) tied a career high with 11 strikeouts in 7 2-3 innings. Huston Street got the last three outs for his 26th save in 29 attempts, and his first since becoming the 27th member of the 300-save club on July 22.
Gillaspie connected for a two-run drive in the sixth. The Angels added another run later in the inning for a 5-3 lead.
Kluber (6-12) gave up five runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings, and left with a 3.60 ERA this season.
ORIOLES 9, ATHLETICS 2
OAKLAND, Calif. – Chris Davis hit a three-run shot in the first inning for his 27th homer to back rookie Tyler Wilson’s impressive spot start, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Oakland Athletics 9-2 on Monday night.
Caleb Joseph added a two-run homer in the fourth off Jesse Chavez (5-11) as Baltimore won for the eighth time in 10 games.
Orioles skipper Buck Showalter earned his 1,313th career managerial victory, tying him with Hall of Famer Ned Hanlon for 31st all-time.
Adam Jones had an RBI double in the third inning on one of his three hits, while Jimmy Paredes and Joseph hit run-scoring doubles in the fifth.
A’s left fielder Coco Crisp returned from the 60-day disabled list from a neck injury that sidelined him since May 20, one of six roster moves by Oakland before the game. He batted second and went 2 for 4.
