After becoming just the second player in Texas Rangers history — and first in more than 19 years — to hit for the cycle, Mark Teixeira tried to contain his emotions.
"Anytime you're up 16-1, you never want to show the other team up, show too much on the field," Teixeira said.
Teixeira went 4-for-5 and drove in a career-high seven runs in a 16-4 rout of the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night in Arlington, Texas, as the Rangers stretched their winning streak to five games and gave Scott Erickson his first victory in more than two years.
Teixeira hit a two-run double in the third, a three-run homer in the fourth, a two-run triple in the fifth, and a leadoff single in the seventh for the club's first cycle since Oddibe McDowell accomplished the feat on July 23, 1985, against the Indians at Arlington Stadium.
"I was definitely happy and excited inside, but you don't want to be celebrating in a situation like that," Teixeira said.
The first baseman was removed for a pinch-runner after his single, leaving to a standing ovation from the crowd of 24,864 with his team ahead 16-1. He's the fifth player to hit for the cycle this season, joining Milwaukee's Chad Moeller, Pittsburgh's Daryle Ward, Philadelphia's David Bell and Eric Valent of the New York Mets.
RED SOX 5, BLUE JAYS 4: At Boston, Orlando Cabrera hit a run-scoring double off the Green Monster in the ninth inning on reliever Justin Speier's second pitch of the game. Pinch-hitter Dave Roberts drew a leadoff walk and Johnny Damon hit into a forceout off Kevin Frederick (0-2). Cabrera, just 13-for-65 since he was acquired July 31, hit a drive off the left-field scoreboard.
ATHLETICS 11, ORIOLES 0: At Baltimore, Tim Hudson (8-4) pitched a five-hitter, struck out four and walked none in his first victory since June 11, and Scott Hatteberg's second grand slam of the season highlighted a four-homer attack. Jermaine Dye, Eric Byrnes and Adam Melhuse also homered for the A's, who have outscored Baltimore 14-1 in winning the first two games of the three-game set.
DEVIL RAYS 8, ANGELS 3: At St. Petersburg, Fla., B.J. Upton became the first teenager to homer in a major league game since Pittsburgh's Aramis Ramirez on June 16, 1998, helping Tampa Bay stop a six-game losing streak. The 19-year-old Upton, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 amateur draft, homered in the third on his 39th career at-bat.
TWINS 8, YANKEES 2: At Minneapolis, Brad Radke (8-6) allowed one run and six hits in seven innings to improve to 4-9 against New York, and Corey Koskie drove in three runs as Minnesota ended a 13-game regular-season losing streak against the Yankees that dated to 2001. The Twins, whose AL Central lead had been cut to one game Saturday, boosted it to 3 1/2 games over second-place Cleveland.
MARINERS 16, ROYALS 3: At Kansas City, Mo., Ichiro Suzuki went 4-for-4 and drove in a career-high five runs, leading off the game with a home run for the second straight day. Bret Boone hit two home runs and four RBIs.
TIGERS 11, WHITE SOX 8: At Chicago, Bobby Higginson hit a three-run homer in the second inning and a two-run drive in the fourth, and Detroit hit four homers off Freddy Garcia (10-10).