Beltre belts HR, double in Rangers' 7-3 win
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Adrian Beltre powered the Texas Rangers to a 7-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night in a matchup of teams that came into the game tied for first place in the American League West.
Beltre hit a three-run homer in the first inning and then lined a two-run double to right center in the third to put Texas up 5-1 in support of right-hander Yu Darvish (2-0).
Beltre finished 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Darvish, who was making his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery, struck out five and allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings.
The Rangers pounded Taijuan Walker (2-6) for six runs and nine hits in five innings.
Seattle answered Beltre's homer with a sacrifice fly from Seth Smith in the third inning, but Beltre's double provided more cushion for Darvish.
Texas stretched its lead to 6-1 on a solo homer from Jurickson Profar in the fourth, but Seattle countered with a Luis Sardinas RBI grounder in the fifth.
The Mariners ended Darvish's night in the sixth, getting within 6-2 on Kyle Seager's RBI single. But again Texas answered with a run-scoring single from Nomar Mazara.
Texas finished with 13 hits. Ian Desmond went 4 for 5 and Profar, Mazara, Beltre and Ryan Rua each had two hits.
Seager, Dae-Ho Lee and Steve Clevenger each had two hits for the Mariners.
NOTES: Former Rangers INF Michael Young was selected as the 20th member of the club's Baseball Hall of Famer. The all-time hits leader for the organization will be inducted in a July 30 ceremony at Globe Life Park. ... Texas OF Shin-Soo Choo, who is on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring, began a rehab assignment Friday night for Double-A Frisco. ... According to Elias, Seattle became just the seventh visiting team to overcome a double-digit deficit with is 16-13 win at San Diego on Thursday. The Mariners are the first to do it since 1990. ... RHP Shawn Tolleson was activated off the MLB family medical emergency list. The club optioned LHP Alex Claudio to Triple-A Round Rock to make room for Tolleson, who was on the emergency list for a week because his father is ill. ... Seattle 1B Dae-Ho Lee became just the third player in club history to have three-plus hits and four four-plus RBIs off the bench in a game in Seattle's 16-13 win over San Diego. The last time it happened was 1991 (Henry Cotto).