Houston, TX – Adrian Beltre smacked a three-run homer among his four hits and drove in four in the Texas Rangers' 12-7 win over the Houston Astros to complete a three-game sweep.
"He's been swinging the bat well and that average is climbing and RBIs are starting to pile up," Rangers manager Ron Washington said of Beltre.
Leury Garcia tallied three hits, four runs scored and an RBI for the Rangers, who have won four in a row and seven of their last nine. Lance Berkman added an RBI double against his old squad in the victory.
Nick Tepesch (3-3) fanned eight and surrendered a run on four hits and a walk over six frames to pick up the win.
Jordan Lyles (1-1) allowed eight runs on 11 hits and three walks over four frames for Houston, which has dropped four in a row and 10 of its last 12.
"The loss is definitely on my shoulders, and I've got to do a better job of competing," Lyles said.
The Rangers racked up 16 hits through five innings and jumped out to a 12-1 lead after plating a run in the first, four in the third, three in the fourth and four more in the fifth.
Berkman banged a one-out RBI double off the wall in the left center in the first and added a run-scoring groundout in the third. Also in third frame, Craig Gentry lined an RBI single to center and David Murphy ripped a two-run shot down the right-field line.
Garcia had a run-scoring base hit to right, Elvis Andrus scored on a balk and Beltre stroked an RBI double to center in the fourth.
Jason Castro's two-out blast to right got the Astros on the board in the home half.
Leonys Martin led off the fifth with a homer to right and Beltre clubbed a three-run shot off the facade in left center later in the inning. The umpiring crew initially ruled Beltre's hit a double, but overturned the call following a review.
Houston pushed four across in the eighth and two more in the ninth to make the final outcome respectable. Castro had an RBI single and Chris Carter launched a three-run bomb into the Crawford Boxes in the eighth. Brandon Barnes cracked a two-run shot to left in the ninth.
Game Notes
Texas has won 15 of its last 18 in Houston ... The Rangers improved to 13-5 against divisional foes this season ... The Rangers were 5-for-16 with runners in scoring position.
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