Major League Baseball

No-no bid, cycle highlight Texas win

Published Aug. 24, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

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Matt Harrison took a no-hit bid into the seventh and went eight innings for his career-high 15th victory, and Adrian Beltre hit for the cycle for the Texas Rangers on Friday night in an 8-0 win over the Minnesota Twins.

Harrison (15-7) didn’t allow a hit until Trevor Plouffe lined a solid single to left with two outs in the seventh. That came right after left fielder David Murphy made a diving catch on Ryan Doumit’s sinking liner to keep the no-hit bid intact, though Murphy had no chance to get to the next ball hit his way.

Beltre’s second career cycle came two nights after he hit three homers in a game against Baltimore.

After an RBI triple in the first inning against the Twins, his first three-base hit in two years, Beltre had an RBI double to cap a five-run second inning that put the Rangers up 6-0. Beltre led off the fifth with his 24th homer, his third consecutive game with a homer. His single in the seventh inning gave him the cycle.

Over the past four games, Beltre is 12 of 18 with five homers, three doubles and a triple.

The other cycle for Beltre also came at Rangers Ballpark, when he was playing for Seattle on Sept. 1, 2008. Ironically, he had three of his hits that night off Harrison.

It was the sixth cycle in Rangers history. The last was Bengie Molina’s on July 16, 2010, at Boston. That also also was the last time an AL player hit for the cycle.

Samuel Deduno (4-2) lost his second consecutive start after winning his first four major league decisions. The right-hander allowed seven runs and 11 hits over five innings.

Harrison allowed only two singles, his second consecutive start allowing only two hits in eight innings. The last Rangers pitcher to accomplish that was Jim Bibby in July 1973.

Harrison struck out five and walked two while throwing 118 pitches.
After walking the second batter of the game, Harrison didn’t allow another runner until he misplayed Ben Revere’s comebacker in the third and threw the ball away. That was the same inning third baseman Beltre fielded Alexi Casilla’s high chopper off the plate and threw him out on a close play at first.

Rookie left-hander Robbie Ross worked the ninth to close out the Rangers’ ninth shutout of the season. It was the eighth time Minnesota has been held scoreless this season.

Josh Hamilton singled and scored on Beltre’s triple in the first, when center fielder Revere appeared to have the ball within his reach but was unable to come up with it as he ran hard toward the left-center wall. It was Beltre’s first triple since July 26, 2010.

Murphy led off the Rangers second with a double and scored on Mitch Moreland’s single. After Luis Martinez was hit by a pitch and Craig Gentry was credited with a bunt single after Deduno fielded the ball and threw it wide of first base — allowing Moreland to score and Gentry to get to second. Ian Kinsler drove home two runs with a single up the middle.

The cycle by Beltre was the fourth in the majors this season. Arizona’s Aaron Hill did it twice, and Scott Hairston had one for the New York Mets.

Notes: The Rangers have scored at least five runs in an inning a majors-best 25 times this season, including once in both games against Minnesota this series. Arizona had 17 innings with five or more runs before Friday night. ... Joe Mauer caught his 831st career game, matching Earl Battey for the most in Twins history.
 

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