ANAHEIM, Calif. _ Adrian Beltre connected for a three-run homer and drove in four runs, and Cole Hamels allowed two runs in seven innings as the Texas Rangers won the opener of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels, 5-3.
Beltre drove in the game's first run with a first-inning groundout and capped a four-run third with his 14th homer of the season. He has 43 career homers against the Angels, fourth-most by an opponent, and his 156 career RBI are also fourth-most by an Angels opponent.
Hamels, who improved to 9-1 this season, has had plenty of success against the Angels, too. He improved to 4-1 against them in eight career starts with a 2.47 ERA.
Shin-Soo Choo drove in the run that Beltre didn't with a double in the big third inning.
Things got dicey in the ninth against Alex Claudio. The first two batters reached on a walk and a single, but he retired the next two batters.
That brought Mike Trout to the plate as the tying run. First base was open, but Trout batted and delivered an RBI single. Albert Pujols, who had 609 career homers, followed as the potential winning run, but he lined out to first base.
How Rangers hitters fared: Adrian Beltre did most of the heavy lifting, matching his season-high with four RBIs. Three of them came on a home run in the Rangers' four-run third. ... Beltre drove in the game's first run with a grounder to shortstop in the first, and Shin-Soo Choo gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead with a double off the left-field wall. ... Beltre connected two batters later after Elvis Andrus was hit by pitch. ... Beltre has 3,023 career hits, tied for 26th all time with Lou Brock, and 1,628 RBI, tied for 29th with Harold Baines.
How Rangers pitchers fared: Cole Hamels left after only 92 pitches in seven efficient innings. ... The left-hander allowed two runs on three hits with two walks and a hit batsman as he improved to 9-1 this season. ... Jose Leclerc entered in the eighth and issued a leadoff walk before striking out Mike Trout and getting Albert Pujols to fly out. Leclerc then walked C.J. Cron and Andrelton Simmons to bring the winning run to the plate. Alex Claudio, though, got Jefri Marte to bounce out to end the threat, and allowed the first two batters to reach. ... Pujols batted as the potential winning run with two outs in the ninth, but he lined softly to first base.
