Hamels, Beltre pave way for Rangers' 6-2 win
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Cole Hamels took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and Adrian Beltre went 4-for-5 with two home runs as the Texas Rangers cruised to a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night at Tropicana Field.
Hamels (13-4) didn't give up a hit until Corey Dickerson's single with two outs in the sixth and had a shutout into the eighth before giving up a home run to the Rays' Steven Souza.
The Rangers (73-50) won their fourth straight and ended a four-game win streak for the Rays (50-70).
Beltre had his 30th career multi-homer game, giving him 21 home runs for the season, with solo shots in the sixth and seventh.
Mitch Moreland opened the scoring with a home run in the fifth.
Rays starter Matt Andriese (6-5) has allowed six home runs in his last two starts. He has struggled in his return to the rotation after opening the year 6-0.
Reliever Ryan Garton inherited two runners in the sixth and allowed both to score, giving up an RBI single to Nomar Mazura and later a bases-loaded walk to Jurickson Profar.
Souza thwarted the shutout in the eighth and the Rays scored against reliever Tony Barnette as Dickerson doubled and scored on Evan Longoria's RBI single.
Hamels had runners reach base in the first inning on an error and a walk but retired 13 in a row from there entering the sixth. He had seven strikeouts through five innings but was already at 71 pitches.
Andriese matched Hamels with scoreless innings through four, but Texas jumped ahead in the fifth on a home run by Moreland, his 21st of the season.
The Rays had to pull two of their starting outfielders early in the game because of injuries -- Kevin Kiermaier left with tightness in his left hip and was replaced by rookie Mikie Mahtook, and Nick Franklin, who had taken a bat to the head in the on-deck circle Wednesday, left the game after four innings, replaced by Dickerson.
With Kiermaier and his Platinum Glove on the bench, the Rangers took advantage. Elvis Andrus scored from first base in the fifth on a grounder from Ian Desmond that got past shortstop Matt Duffy up the middle. Mahtook lobbed a throw into second base and Andrus took off, beating the throw home for a 2-0 lead.
Texas added a run in the sixth on a home run by Adrian Beltre, his 20th of the season.
NOTES: The Rays made a roster move before Friday's game, reinstating OF Oswaldo Arcia (elbow strain) from the 15-day disabled list and immediately designating him for assignment. Arcia, acquired while the Rays had several outfielders on the disabled list, hit .259 in 21 games with two home runs and seven RBIs, striking out 19 times in 54 at-bats. ... 2B Logan Forsythe missed a third straight game with back spasms, though Rays manager Kevin Cash said he would likely be available as a defensive replacement or late-game pinch-hitter. ... Friday's game opens a stretch of 36 straight games for the Rays against teams that currently are at .500 or better -- Tampa Bay is 31-55 this year against teams currently .500 or better, worst in the American League.