Lewis, Rangers lose 8-5 to Angels

JOE RESNICK
Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Colby Lewis got a win in his first start of the season against the Los Angeles Angels. His last four outings against the AL West champions have not gone so well.

Lewis was hit hard while pitching five innings in the Texas Rangers’ 8-5 loss on Saturday. He allowed eight runs, seven earned, and nine hits.

The right-hander is 0-4 with a whopping 11.51 ERA in his last four outings against the Angels, a stretch that began on July 10 with a 15-6 home loss in which the nine-year veteran surrendered career highs in runs (13) and hits (11).

Los Angeles (96-59) leads Baltimore by 2 1/2 games in the race for the best record in the majors, but the Angels’ success was of no consolation to Lewis when it came to his rough night.

“That’s an absolute cop-out,” Lewis said. “They’ve got a good record, but regardless, I expected to perform a lot better than I did tonight — plain and simple. They’ve seen me five times this year and they’ve seen me five times, so they know me as well as I know them. It can go either way, and it went the wrong way tonight.”

Jered Weaver earned his AL-leading 18th victory, Albert Pujols reached the 100-RBI mark with a two-run homer and Mike Trout also hit a two-run shot for the Angels. David Freese added a three-run drive against Lewis (10-14), who surrendered more than two homers in a game for the first time since May 10, 2012, when the Orioles hit five against him at Baltimore.

Trout made it 3-0 in the third with his 35th homer, after shortstop Elvis Andrus dropped Kole Calhoun’s popup in short center field for his 18th error. The two RBIs increased Trout’s career-high total to 109, two behind major league leader Adrian Gonzalez.

In a span of just five pitches in the fifth, the Angels plated five more runs. Pujols drove Lewis’ 1-2 delivery off the rock pile in left-center for his 519th homer, putting him within two of tying Ted Williams, Willie McCovey and newly inducted Hall of Famer Frank Thomas for 18th place on the career list.

Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar followed Pujols homer with singles, and Freese capped the five-run rally with his 10th homer, one more than he had last season in 138 games with St. Louis. The 2011 World Series MVP has 13 RBIs in his last 12 games.

The Rangers’ season-best seven-game winning streak came to a resounding end despite Adrian Beltre’s three doubles, which equaled a career high.

“He’s one of the best hitters I’ve ever been around,” Rangers interim manager Tim Bogar said. “I don’t think he’s played a game this year where he hasn’t been a hundred percent. The swings that he takes and the effort that he gives, it’s unbelievable. I have nothing but the highest regard for Adrian.”

Weaver (18-8) was charged with three runs and five hits in seven-plus innings. Huston Street pitched a perfect ninth for his career-high 39th save and 15th with the Angels.

POWER SHORTAGE

If Beltre doesn’t hit at least two home runs in Texas’ final eight games, it would be the first time since 1980 that the Rangers went an entire non-strike season without anyone on the roster hitting at least 20. Al Oliver and Richie Zisk led the way that year with 19 each.

LONG TIME COMING

Trout, who received the Angels’ MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony, became the first player to hit 35 homers for them since 2004, when Vladimir Guerrero hit 39 and won the AL MVP award.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: Injured RF Josh Hamilton won’t play Sunday, marking the first time he’ll go an entire season without a home run in his home ballpark. All 10 have come on the road. … RHP Matt Shoemaker’s status remains in doubt as to whether he’ll make one more start in preparation for the playoffs. He has missed one turn with a mild left oblique strain, and has yet to throw off a mound.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Nick Tepesch (5-10, 4.47 ERA) is 3-10 with a 4.72 ERA over his last 17 starts, including a pair of losses to the Angels.

Angels: Sunday is the team’s final home game of the regular season. Cory Rasmus (3-1, 2.57 ERA) makes his fifth big league start — all in place of Richards.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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