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Beltre hits for cycle as Mariners double up Rangers

Sep 2, 2008 - 6:22 AM ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- Adrian Beltre hit for the second cycle of the day on Monday, and the Seattle Mariners used a late inning outburst to record a 12-6 victory over the Texas Rangers.

The Mariners exploded for nine runs in the final five frames thanks in large part to Beltre, who went 5-for-6 with five runs scored and three RBI.

The 29-year-old Beltre homered in the second, singled in the fourth and doubled in the seventh. He completed the cycle by ripping an RBI triple to right-center in the eighth inning.

"I didn't know I needed a triple for the cycle," said Beltre, who picked a good time to record his first triple of the season. "I hit the ball and started running because I didn't know if (Josh) Hamilton was going to catch it.

"It's something special. I'm not sure if I've seen one before."

Beltre joined Arizona's Stephen Drew, who accomplished the feat against the Cardinals earlier in the day.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was first time that two cycles were achieved on the same day since Bobby Veach of the Detroit Tigers and George Burns of the New York Giants on September 17, 1920.

Beltre joined Drew, Minnesota's Carlos Gomez, Mark Kotsay then of the Atlanta Braves, and Washington's Cristian Guzman as players who have accomplished the feat this season. He is the first member of the Mariners to hit for the cycle since John Olerud did so against the San Diego Padres on June 16, 2001.

"It's fun to watch something like that," Mariners outfielder Jeremy Reed said. "That was pretty impressive to watch right there. The thing that is more impressive is he didn't even know about it. I knew about because I was on the bench watching most of the game."

Texas manager Ron Washington alertly pointed out that three of Beltre's hits - including his solo homer - came with an 0-2 count.

"Beltre is known to be a darn good hitter," he said. "You can't make mistakes to him on 0-2 counts."

Seattle manager Jim Riggleman agreed and credited Beltre for his toughness.

"I'm happy for him," Riggleman said. "He plays through pain. He's done so many things -- winning a Gold Glove, hitting 48 home runs in a season. His bigger body of work is the real accomplishment."

Yuniesky Betancourt homered and drove in two runs for Seattle, which broke open a 6-6 game by sending 10 men to the plate in a four-run seventh. Jamie Burke drove in two runs and Jeremy Reed had a pinch-hit, two-run single for the Mariners, who pounded out 20 hits.

Texas surged ahead, 6-4, when rookie Taylor Teagarden capped a five-run fifth with a three-run shot to center. Burke's RBI single in the sixth cut the lead to 6-5, and Raul Ibanez tied the game with a run-scoring single the following frame.

The Mariners then unloaded on Luis Mendoza (3-7) in the seventh. Mendoza was rocked for four runs and five hits in just one-third of an inning.

Sean Green (4-4) tossed three scoreless innings to pick up the win.

Hamilton homered for Texas, which has lost 10 of 12 here.