Adrian Beltre 3K Moments: Fall Classic

With an RBI single up the middle in the fifth inning against the Orioles on Friday night, Adrian Beltre is just two hits from 3K, here’s a look back at ten of our favorite Adrian Beltre moments and antics. We’ll post a new one with each hit as we count down to 3,000!

For hit No. 2998:

Let’s set the scene:

October 24, 2011 - Game 5 of the World Series - St. Louis Cardinals vs Texas Rangers - Series tied 2-2

It’s the bottom of the sixth inning, and the Cardinals lead the Rangers 2-1 in pivotal Game 5 where the winner will take a lead in the Series.

St. Louis got to Rangers starter C.J. Wilson for two runs (one earned) in the top of the second to take an early 2-0 lead as Wilson walks the first two batters of the inning and finishes a shaky outing with five walks to just three strikeouts in 5 ¹⁄₃ innings.

Wilson was adept at wiggling out of jams in his five plus innings which gave the Rangers a chance to come back. In the bottom of the third, Mitch Moreland hit a mammoth upper deck solo home run off Cardinals’ ace Chris Carpenter to make it 2-1.

However, Carpenter would prove to be tough on the Rangers all Series long and by the bottom of the sixth inning, it was still 2-1 when Adrian Beltre came up to the plate with two outs and Texas down to just ten outs to tie things up.

After Michael Young had struck out one at-bat previously, with Beltre at the plate, the Rangers had a 34% win expectancy. Carpenter threw an 0-1 yakker to Beltre...

Just like that Adrian Beltre had tied the game via a trademarked dinger from one knee in the dang World Series! Win expectancy now gave the Rangers a 52% chance to win a game they would eventually go on to win 4-2.

As far as moments in franchise history go, I feel like this one is underrated. Check out the faces of the fans a moment before Beltre made contact:

That’s the look of resignation, worry, or both. But Beltre wasn’t giving up. Aesthetically, given the moment, there may not have been a more beautiful home run in Rangers history.

When the Rangers open their new Ballpark in a couple of years, outside the third base entrance, it is my hope to one day visit an Adrian Beltre statue and it is my belief that, if it doesn’t take the appearance of Beltre fielding a bunt, it should look like this: