ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Texas slugger Adrian Beltre has hit three home runs in his first three at-bats Tuesday in Game 4 of the AL playoffs at Tampa Bay.
Beltre hit solo shots off Jeremy Hellickson in the second and fourth innings, and added another solo drive against Matt Moore during the seventh.
Beltre entered the game with just one hit in 11 playoff at-bats this season.
It’s the seventh time — and first in a division series — that a player has hit three homers in a postseason game.
Adam Kennedy of the Angels had been the last player to have a three-homer postseason game, doing it in the 2002 AL championship series against Minnesota.
The Rangers led the best-of-five series against the Rays by two games to one.