Ouch: Angels Hit Rangers With First Home Loss

Colby Lewis was erratic in his first start in 10 days. None of the other Texas Rangers pitcher were any better.

The Rangers also struggled in the field, failed to figure out the Los Angeles Angels' fill-in starter and suffered their first home loss in a big way, 15-4 against their AL West rivals Tuesday night.

"It was a long night for us," Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler said. "Standing out there a while getting your butt kicked is no fun."

The Rangers had won their first seven home games in a season for the first time, including the series-opening 7-1 victory Monday night after returning from a nine-game road trip.

Now the Angels and Rangers are tied atop the AL West with 11-6 records going into the series finale Wednesday night.

Lewis (1-2), pitching for the first time after being the first player ever to go on Major League Baseball's paternity leave list, gave up four runs in five innings.

"I felt great. I fell behind hitters, and they took advantage of it, that was it," Lewis said. "It felt like the fastball location was there and it would just go away. I felt like I was just kind of fighting myself, trying to get the ball down in the zone, only with the fastball."

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Lewis walked Maicer Izturis on five pitches to start the game, then fielded Bobby Abreu's comebacker and one-hopped the throw to shortstop Elvis Andrus, who managed to gather the ball for the force at second base but couldn't turn the double play.

Alberto Callaspo drew the first of his two walks against Lewis in the second, then moved to third after a wild pitch compounded by catcher Yorvit Torrealba's throwing error. Mark Trumbo followed with a run-scoring single, the first of his four RBIs.

The only 1-2-3 inning for Lewis came in the third, before Kinsler's RBI single in the bottom of the inning tied the game. But Lewis then walked Callaspo again in the fourth before Trumbo's towering homer put the Angels ahead to stay.

Izturis led off the fifth with his second homer of the season for a 4-1 lead.

Lewis was home in California in time for his daughter's birth last Wednesday, four days after his previous start, then went on the three-day paternity list Friday. He struck out three and walked three.

Texas managed only one run and three hits in six innings against right-hander Matt Palmer (1-0), making his second start for injured Scott Kazmir. Palmer struck out three and walked one.

The Rangers also had four errors, their most in a game since five on July 29, 2008.

It was the Rangers' biggest loss at home since a 17-4 loss to Detroit on Sept. 17, 2008.

Mason Tobin took over for Lewis to start the sixth, and got only one out while giving up three runs before leaving because of pain in his right elbow. The rookie reliever is scheduled to have an MRI on Wednesday.

Callaspo had a one-out single against Tobin and scored on Trumbo's double before Hank Conger walked.

"They were all over the bases all night," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

Peter Bourjos greeted reliever Michael Kirkman with an RBI single that got past left fielder David Murphy and rolled to the wall, an error that allowed Conger and Bourjos to also score.

The bottom five hitters in the Angels lineup -- Vernon Wells, Callaspo and the trio of youngsters Trumbo, Conger and Bourjos -- combined for 12 runs, 13 hits and 11 RBIs. All had multiple hits and only Wells failed to score multiple runs.

Trumbo and Bourjos had homers.

The Rangers were down only 3-1 when they loaded the bases with one out in the fourth off Palmer. Torrealba then took a called third strike and Mitch Moreland, who delivered a two-run single in the same situation the previous night, hit an inning-ending grounder.

"In the fourth inning, we had our chance to get back in the game," Washington said. "When we didn't do that, it just went downhill from there."

Texas trailed 13-1 before Julio Borbon's sacrifice fly in the seventh. Torrealba homered in the ninth before Elvis Andrus had an RBI double.

Notes: Before Callaspo walked in the fourth, Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre barehanded a slow roller by Wells and made a strong throw while falling down for the first out of that inning. ... Texas has lost five of seven games overall. ... Heavy rain and some hail started to fall about the same time the Angels were set to take batting practice. The field was covered and the game started only 11 minutes late. The game-time temperature was 70 degrees, more than 20 degrees cooler than when the Rangers were wrapping up their BP about two hours earlier.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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