Path to 3000: Adrian Beltre versus the Padres

Not long after giving us the greatest ejection in baseball history, Adrian Beltre entered the elite 3000 Hit Club this afternoon. It may be hard to remember for some San Diegans, as the third baseman has spent the later, more storied years of his career in Texas, but the Padres used to see a whole lot of Beltre. He came up with the Dodgers at 19, spending six and a half years manning the hot corner at Chavez Ravine. After that, he went to the hated Mariners, where he vied for the Vedder Cup for five seasons. So while most of his hits have come against his AL West rivals, he racked up a solid number against the Friars.

The Angels, A’s, and Astros have been the teams most victimized by Beltre. The Rockies follow close behind, as they were perennial cellar dwellers during his time in LA, and then come the Padres in fifth place. He picked up a total of 128 base hits against the Padres, including 26 doubles and 20 homers. And he didn’t suffer any sort of away split. With 35 hits at Qualcomm Stadium and 34 at Petco Park, Beltre certainly has an affinity for America’s Finest City.

Plenty of Padres were victimized by the future Hall of Famer, as he collected off 63 different San Diego pitchers. Adam Eaton got it the worst, giving up a dozen, but Jake Peavy got stung for eight. The last Friar to get burned by Beltre was Ian Kennedy, who gave up a double when the Rangers visited Petco Park in 2015 (Beltre also went yard on Kennedy earlier that season when the Pads went to Texas).

Congratulations, Adrian, and you’re welcome.