Indians lose on Beltre’s homer in 11th inning

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Pinch-hitter Adrian Beltre hit a three-run homer in the 11th inning to help lift the Texas Rangers to a 5-2 win over the Cleveland Indians on Saturday night.

Beltre didn’t start for the fourth straight game due to a tender hamstring, but hit a 1-0 pitch from Joe Smith (1-1) over the center-field wall for his fifth homer, snapping Texas’ three-game losing streak.

Alexi Ogando (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings and Joe Nathan worked the 11th for his seventh save in eight tries.

Asdrubal Cabrera had four hits for Cleveland, which had a three-game winning streak stopped.

It was Beltre’s third career pinch homer — first in nearly 12 years. He also did it in 1998 and 2000 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Shut out for seven innings by Derek Holland, the Indians chased the left-hander and rallied to tie it at 2 in the eighth.

With one out, Michael Brantley singled and went to third on Jason Kipnis’ single. Rangers manager Ron Washington brought in Mike Adams for the 13th time this season, but first with runners on base. Adams promptly yielded an RBI double to Cabrera.

Kipnis then scored from third when catcher Mike Napoli failed to handle a tailing fastball that went off his glove and to the backstop for a passed ball.

Holland, who had a five-hit shutout the last time he started at Progressive Field on June 4, gave up five hits, one earned run and struck out six over 71/3 innings.

Texas took a 1-0 lead in the second when a swinging bunt by Ian Kinsler turned into an RBI single. With Napoli on third and two outs, Kinsler topped a sinker from Derek Lowe toward third baseman Jack Hannahan, who came in to field the slow roller. Kinsler hustled down the line and narrowly beat the throw to first as Napoli scored.Lowe went six innings, giving up nine hits, two runs and two walks. Several of the hits were on grounders just out of the reach of infielders.