Red-hot Adrian Beltre fuels Rangers’ 12-hit attack, top slumping Tribe

Cleveland, OH, United States (4E Sports) – Adrian Beltre sparked the Rangers’ offense with four hits and Texas continued its surge with a 5-3 trouncing of the reeling Cleveland Indians Friday night at Progressive Field.

It gave Texas its 10th win in 13 games, while handing the Tribe their sixth straight loss.

Beltre had three hits off Cleveland starter Ubaldo Jimenez. The Rangers All-Star third baseman went 4-for-5, scored twice and drove in a run for the Rangers, in the opener of this three-game set.

It marked the fifth time in the last nine games that the 33-year-old Beltre has produced at least three hits.

The three-time Silver Slugger Award winner Beltre, who was also recognized thrice with the Gold Glove Award and Fielding Bible Award, has hit .472 with 14 RBI in his last nine tilts. Beltre has batted .334 with 15 homers and 45 RBI in his last 68 games.

Michael Young drove in two while David Murphy and Ian Kinsler each had two hits, an RBI and a run scored in the Rangers’ 12-hit onslaught.

Ryan Dempster (4-1) got the win after hurling six-innings of two-hit ball.

Dempster, who came in at 1-0 with a 4.05 ERA in three lifetime meetings against the Indians, gave up just one unearned run and issued three walks and seven strikeouts in the victory, the third in the last four for Texas.

Jimenez (9-14) failed to arrest the woes for the reeling Indians as the Cleveland starter yielded four runs on eight hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in 5 2-3 frames.

Casey Kotchman smacked a two-run blast for the Indians, who closed a forgettable campaign in August with a 5-24 mark, tying the 1914 club for most losses in a month in franchise history.

The Tribe are 11-36 since the All-Star break.

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