Update: Texas Rangers’ Adrian Beltre stuck on 2,999

Adrian Beltre remains one hit from history.

The Texas Rangers third baseman grounded into a 5-4-3 double play in the ninth inning Saturday night, his last at-bat of the game and second chance at reaching the 3,000-hit milestone.

The Orioles beat the Rangers 4-0.

Beltre grounded out to shortstop on the first pitch he saw in the sixth inning Saturday night, coming up empty on his first chance at cracking into the 3,000-hit club. Nearly 45,000 were in attendance at Globe Life Park hoping to witness history. Almost 8,000 tickets were purchased since the end of Friday night’s game after Beltre inched within two hits of the milestone.

Beltre singled through the left side of the infield to start the fourth inning Saturday night, moving to within one hit of 3,000 and baseball immortality.

He grounded out to nearly the same spot in his first at-bat in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Globe Life Park.

Beltre’s hit came on a 2-0 count from Orioles starter Kevin Gausman. The hard smash took two hops and skidded past shortstop Rubén Tejada and into left field. Beltre was erased on a double play ball hit by Mike Napoli.

Beltre is trying to become only 30 major league player to reach 3,000 hits. He would be the first Dominican to achieve the milestone.

Beltre committed a throwing error in the seventh, snapping his career-best 62-game stretch without an error, which is a Rangers’ record.

He stepped to the plate in the first with a .311 average, nine home runs, 36 RBIs and a team-best .377 batting average since the All-Star break.

Beltre’s bona fides

Here’s where Beltre ranks all-time in many of the major offensive categories:

This story was originally published July 29, 2017 at 7:31 PM with the headline "Update: Texas Rangers’ Adrian Beltre stuck on 2,999."