ARLINGTON, Texas -AP- Adrian Beltre doubled for his 3,000th career hit Sunday, reaching the milestone in the Texas Rangers' 10-6 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.The Rangers already were down 4-0 when the 38-year-old third baseman, who went 1 for 5 in his 2,771st game, had a hard hit down the line past third base in the fourth inning.
Beltre became the first player from the Dominican Republic, and 31st overall, to join the 3,000-hit club in the major leagues.Jonathan Schoop and Welington Castillo homered in a five-run fifth for a 9-2 Orioles lead. Castillo also had the last of three consecutive RBI singles off lefty Martin Perez (5-9) in the fourth.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.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 grounder to end the game. Britton has converted an AL-record 57 consecutive save opportunities, eight this season.When Beltre got his 3,000th hit, 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 other family members and ran to right-center field. The kids helped unveil a logo commemorating the accomplishment on the wall in front of the Rangers bullpen, then went and hugged their father on the infield dirt.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 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 now 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.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.Along with his 3,000 hits, Beltre is a five-time Gold Glover. He had a career-best and franchise-record 62-game streak without at error at third base before a throwing error Saturday night's game.
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