Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre became the 31st member of the 3,000 hit club on Sunday while facing the Orioles. With his team trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, he hit a 3-0 fastball off of Wade Miley for a double, putting runners on second and third with one out. He’s the first Dominican-born player to reach 3,000 career hits.
The game halted for a few minutes following Beltre’s double. A banner unfurled in center field and a graphic was revealed in right field, celebrating his achievement. Meanwhile, Beltre was congratulated by his teammates on the field. His family came onto the field as well, hugging him while the crowd at Globe Life Park continued to cheer.
Beltre, 38, entered the game batting .310/.387/.538 with nine home runs and 36 RBI in 212 plate appearances. He missed nearly two months to begin the season due to a strained right calf, delaying his much anticipated achievement.
Over parts of 20 years, Beltre has made four All-Star Games and won four Silver Slugger Awards, five Gold Glove Awards, and two Platinum Glove Awards. He’s mashed 454 home runs along with 604 doubles in his storied career.
We’ll have more on Beltre to come, including video of his 3,000th hit and a career retrospective.