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Beltre's two miscues help Rangers defeat Mariners

Aug 26, 2007 - 5:18 AM ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- Two miscues by Adrian Beltre helped cool off the red-hot Seattle Mariners.

Ian Kinsler had three hits - including a three-run homer - and was the key player in a two-run seventh as the Texas Rangers posted a 5-3 victory over the Mariners on Saturday night.

With the loss, Seattle (73-54) had its lead over the New York Yankees (72-57) in the American League wild card race reduced to two games. New York defeated the Detroit Tigers, 7-2, earlier Saturday.

The Mariners, who had won seven of eight to pull within one game of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (75-53) in the AL West Division, were done in by third baseman Beltre's two throwing errors - including one in the seventh inning that snapped a tie.

"That's not one of our typical games," Mariners manager John McLaren said. "Beltre is a Gold Glove third baseman, and the ball simply got away from him tonight."

With a runner aboard and the game knotted at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Kinsler - who tied it with his 16th homer in the fifth - grounded to Beltre, whose throw went wide of first base. The ball rolled down the right field line, allowing Travis Metcalf to score from first and sending Kinsler all the way to third.

Kinsler then scored on a squeeze play executed by Gerald Laird against reliever Rick White (1-1), giving Texas a two-run cushion.

"It was a tough play," Laird said. "(White) threw it up and in, like he was supposed to. It was either get the bat on it or be eating through a straw. I still don't know how I bunted it."

Joaquin Benoit (7-3) pitched a 1-2-3 eighth before C.J. Wilson worked around a hit and a walk in the ninth for his eighth save of the season.

"If you look at the first few innings tonight, it didn't look like we had a chance," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "But they made some mistakes tonight, and we were able to capitalize on them and then hold on."

Beltre's errors led indirectly to all of the Rangers' runs.

With a runner on first in the fifth, Beltre committed his first miscue by making a throw that pulled first baseman Richie Sexson off the bag. That set up Kinsler, who lined the first pitch from Seattle starter Horacio Ramirez into the left field bleachers to forge a 3-3 deadlock.

"I made a bad pitch on the home run," Ramirez said. "It was supposed to be away from (Kinsler). It's tough because Beltre has been awesome at third this year and I really wish I could have picked him up there. I just made a mistake at the wrong time."

Ramirez allowed three runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Rangers starter Jamey Wright lasted five innings, giving up three runs and seven hits.

Beltre and Jose Vidro both had two hits and an RBI for Seattle. It was Beltre's 40th multi-hit game of the season.