Betancourt hits 8th HR, Brewers beat Rangers 6-3

[May 08, 2013]  MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Yuniesky Betancourt's eighth homer of the season capped a five-run first inning Tuesday night and the Milwaukee Brewers snapped a season-high five-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory over the Texas Rangers.

Aramis Ramirez also homered for the first time this year and NL batting leader Carlos Gomez added a two-run double for Milwaukee, which rebounded from a four-game sweep by visiting St. Louis last weekend.

Wily Peralta (3-2) gave up three runs -- two earned -- and five hits in six innings. The right-hander, who turns 24 on Wednesday, struck out two and did not walk a batter.

Three relievers followed with an inning each for the Brewers, including Jim Henderson in the ninth for his seventh save.

Mitch Moreland homered for the Rangers, who lost consecutive games for the third time this year. They also lost their season-high fourth straight on the road.

Justin Grimm (2-2) gave up five earned runs on eight hits in five innings after entering the game with a total of six earned runs allowed this year. The right-hander struck out seven and walked three.

After back-to-back singles by Norichika Aoki and Jean Segura in the first, Ryan Braun drove in Milwaukee's first run with a single over the head of Nelson Cruz in right field. Because Segura thought Cruz was going to catch the ball near the warning track, he was headed back to first when he saw Braun rounding the base for what turned out to be a long single.

Segura's mistake did not cost his team, however.

With two outs, Gomez extended his career-high hitting streak to 13 games with a two-run double to left-center. Betancourt followed with his two-run homer, also to left-center, to give Milwaukee a 5-0 lead.

Betancourt leads the Brewers with eight homers after hitting seven last season.

Texas got its first run in the second when Moreland hit his fifth homer, a solo shot to left-center. It was the only hit for the Rangers in the first four innings.

In the sixth, Texas added two more runs. Adrian Beltre hit a grounder to Ramirez at third that bounced off his glove and allowed Jeff Baker to score from third. Cruz's sacrifice fly scored Elvis Andrus and cut Milwaukee's lead to 5-3.

Ramirez made it 6-3 with his homer to left off reliever Jason Frasor.

Milwaukee's Tom Gorzelanny pitched the seventh and Brandon Kintzler the eighth.

NOTES: Milwaukee is 10-3 when scoring first. ... The last time these teams met was June 13, 2010, at Miller Park. ... Grimm has 16 strikeouts in his last two games -- both losses. ... This is the sixth time and first since 2006 that Texas played a different opponent on three consecutive days. The Rangers hosted Boston on Sunday and played the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Monday.

[Associated Press; By DAVE BOEHLER]

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