Beltre hits 3 homers as Rangers eliminate Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Texas Rangers are headed back to the AL championship series, thanks to a power surge by Adrian Beltre that few players in major league history have matched.

Beltre hit three straight home runs and the defending AL champions advanced again, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 in Game 4 Tuesday to win their playoff matchup.

Texas ended the Rays' remarkable run to the AL wild-card spot, and will play for the pennant against the winner of the Detroit Tigers-New York Yankees series.

Beltre became just the sixth player to homer three times in a postseason game, and the first since Adam Kennedy of the Angels in 2002. Reggie Jackson and George Brett also are on the list. Babe Ruth accomplished the feat twice.

The Texas slugger connected in his first three at-bats. Given a chance to tie the big league record of four homers in a game, Beltre hit a routine flyout in the eighth.

Neftali Feliz gave up a run in the ninth inning before closing for his third save of the series.

Texas won for the fifth straight time on the road overall — all at Tropicana Field — in the opening round. The Rangers eliminated Tampa Bay in five games last year.

Ian Kinsler led off the game for Texas by homering on the second pitch from rookie Jeremy Hellickson.

Then it was Beltre's turn. He came into the game in an 1-for-11 slump in this series before breaking loose.

"The first couple games their pitching was really good," Beltre said. "Today something changed, I felt more comfortable at the plate, and I did something to help my team win."

Beltre hit solo shots off Hellickson in the second and fourth innings, and added another solo drive against Matt Moore during the seventh. The Rays weren't the only ones who had trouble keeping up with Beltre — a television cameraman trying to run alongside Beltre to capture the image as the star jogged home did a face-first pratfall.

Beltre signed with Texas in the offseason after playing last year in Boston. He and Kinsler tied for the team lead with 32 homers, and Beltre had been on a late-season tear going into the playoffs.

"That's one of the main reasons I came to this team. We're looking good right now, but we still have a long way to go," he said.

Postseason Three-Homer Games

Game 4, 2011 — Adrian Beltre, Texas at Tampa Bay AL Championship Series

Game 5, 2002 — Adam Kennedy, Anaheim vs. Minnesota

Game 3, 1978 — George Brett, Kansas City at New York NL Championship Series

Game 2, 1971 — Bob Robertson, Pittsburgh at San Francisco World Series

Game 6, 1977 — Reggie Jackson, New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Game 4, 1928 — Babe Ruth, New York Yankees at St. Louis Cardinals

Game 4, 1926 — Babe Ruth, New York Yankees at St. Louis Cardinals