Beltre triples as Texas beats Rockies 5-2 to end 7-game skid
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Jose Trevino went from preparing for a game in Double-A to playing twice in less than 24 hours for the Texas Rangers, and delivering a tying RBI with his first big league hit.
The rookie catcher's single in the seventh inning tied Saturday's game against the Colorado Rockies, and 39-year-old active career hits leader Adrian Beltre put the Rangers ahead with a two-run triple in the eighth as they stopped a seven-game skid with a 5-2 victory.
"I couldn't tell you if I was more excited to get the tying RBI or my first hit, but I knew if I got the RBI, it'd be a hit," Trevino said. "It's been crazy, just trying to soak it all in and slow it down."
Trevino was going through his pregame workouts Friday at Frisco, about 35 miles from the Rangers' ballpark, when he got the late call-up to the big leagues. Rangers starting catcher Robinson Chirinos was going to serve his one-game MLB suspension for the scuffle after a home plate collision with Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
Carlos Perez started Friday night behind the plate, but he injured his right ankle in the second inning, and Trevino quickly made his big league debut.
"No time to be nervous," Trevino said.
When Perez got to the ballpark Saturday for a day game, he found out he was in the starting lineup. Perez went on the 10-day disabled list, and Chirinos was still sore from the collision.
"He's handled it great. To be forced into duty on a night when he came in as kind of an emergency," manager Jeff Banister said. "That at-bat at the end there (Saturday) was tremendous. He needs to be proud of himself."
Rougned Odor led off the Texas seventh with triple. He scored on a double by Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who came home when Trevino grounded a ball through the left side of the infield to tie the game at 2.
Beltre, who has been on the disabled list twice this season because of a strained left hamstring, got the triple on a fly ball that went over the head of right fielder Carlos Gonzalez and ricocheted off the bottom half of the outfield wall. It was Beltre's 3,095th career hit.
"As soon as I hit it, I knew it was enough to score the runs, so that's all I cared," Beltre said.
"Off the bat, it looked like it was going to go over the fence. I tried to do as much as possible," Gonzalez said. "I guess we can say we got lucky that it didn't go over the fence."
Delino DeShields drew a leadoff walk against Harrison Musgrave (0-2), and went to third on Jurickson Profar's single before the 38th career triple for Beltre, who is in his 21st season. Pinch-runner Ryan Rua came home on Odor's sacrifice fly.
Jose Leclerc (2-2) struck out two in a perfect eighth and Keone Kela worked the ninth for his 15th save, the most in the majors without a blown chance.
Rangers starter Mike Minor struck out six while matching his season long with seven innings. He had a balk and a wild pitch, both playing into the Rockies runs.
Ian Desmond walked in the second and advanced on a balk before a two-out single by Gonzalez. D.J. LeMahieu had a leadoff single in the sixth, and was at third after a wild pitch before coming home on Nolan Arenado's sac fly.
But Minor worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.
"To keep the score the way it was, to give our guys that little energy level to say 'Hey, we're still in this'," Banister said. "If we give up a couple of runs there, it's probably a little different situation."
GETTING ON BASE
Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo had a leadoff walk in the first, before adding two hits. He has reached base in 30 consecutive games for the longest streak in the American League this season.
STARTING FREE
Colorado left-hander Kyle Freeland, who won all four of his interleague starts as a rookie last season, permitted two runs and eight hits in seven innings.
"He's made great strides. I think there's a confidence level there to utilize a couple of different pitches," manager Bud Black said. "He's limiting mistakes, especially with runners on base. We're seeing growth before our eyes."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rangers: SS Elvis Andrus, out since fracturing his right elbow April 11, was moved from Frisco to Triple-A Round Rock. He could rejoin the Rangers as early as Monday.
UP NEXT
RHP Yovani Gallardo, who has pitched for three different major league teams since leaving his hometown Rangers after the 2015 season, is expected to start the series finale for Texas. He has been at Triple-A since signing a minor league deal in April after being designated for assignment by Cincinnati. RHP Jon Gray, with a 7.98 ERA his last six starts, goes for the Rockies.
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