Chris Davis on Adrian Beltre (O's blank Rangers 4-0)

By Steve Melewski

Orioles

July 29, 2017, 5:13pm

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ARLINGTON, Texas - It has become very apparent in two days during this series at Globe Life Park that Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre has a room full of admirers in the visiting clubhouse. Beltre enters tonight's game two hits shy of becoming the 31st player in the Major League history to reach 3,000 hits.

He had two hits last night and is at 2998 to start this game. Beltre has gone 9-for-14 with a homers, two doubles, 5 RBIs and 2 walks during this Rangers homestand to raise his season average from .283 to .311. Beltre is batting .368 (7-for-19) in five games versus Baltimore in 2017.

In 20 career games against the O's at Globe Life Park, he is batting .395/.410/.803/1.212 (30-for-76) with four doubles, nine homers, 19 runs and 24 RBIs.

Orioles first baseman Chris Davis was Beltre's teammate here in Texas briefly in 2011. He said there is a lot to admire about the four-time All Star and five-time Gold Glove winner.

"I think his relentlessness," Davis said. "You've seen him hobbling down the first base line, pulling up and clearly injured or hurt and continue to stay in the game and then produce. That's the kind of guy he is. He comes in every day ready to play. He's a fun guy to be around. He makes other people better and I'm happy for him. I'm excited and I hope he does get it while we are here. That is a part of history. It will be something special."

O's get early lead: The Orioles used the longball to take a 2-0 lead tonight. Trey Mancini led off the second inning with a 459-foot homer to center field. He hit No. 17 for a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Caleb Joseph connected to a similar spot in the ballpark. This one went 403 feet for his fifth homer and an early 2-0 lead. That matches the club's run total from last night.

They then exceeded that total, adding two more in the third. Jonathan Schoop doubled to left-center with one out for his 100^th career two-base hit. After walks to Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo, Mancini's grounder scored a third run and a Seth Smith single plated a fourth. The Orioles took a 4-0 lead in the top of the third.

Beltre's night: He is 1-for-2 so far and came up with career hit No. 2,999 with a single to left in the bottom of the fourth. But he was erased on a double play, and the Orioles lead 4-0 through four. Gausman has allowed five singles on 62 pitches.