Rangers Beat Royals
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ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers starter Colby Lewis is on a roll, and so is his team.
The veteran right hander was effective once again, and third baseman Adrian Beltre homered in the Rangers’ 8-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night at Globe Life Park.
“Tonight I was able to locate the fastball, move the ball in and out,” said Lewis, who threw seven innings of one-run ball. “I threw some curveballs early in the count and just made some pitches. Basically, that was the recipe.”
The Rangers, coming off a 5-2 road trip, opened their seven-game homestand with just their fourth home win 13 tries this season. Texas (14-18) entered the four-game series with baseball’s worst record at home.
The American League Central-leading Royals (20-12) lost for only the second time in 12 series openers this season. Kansas City, playing its first game outside its division in more than three weeks, also had its modest two-game winning streak snapped.
Lewis (3-2) improved to 2-4 lifetime against Kansas City by limiting the best hitting team in the majors to three hits and two walks while striking out five. Lewis, the first Texas starter with three wins, has a 0.86 ERA over three starts in May.
“Doesn’t surprise us really, the competitor that he is,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said
after the club’s seventh win in 10 games. “You can see the look. He talks about how good he feels. The warhorse there in the middle of the rotation that takes the ball.
“You see the focus in his face, and just continues to pour the strike zone with the fastball and the slider. Keeps the hitters off balance and doesn’t give in. Right now, it’s a very nice look in how he shows up for every start.”
The Rangers had nine hits, including three home runs. Beltre had a two-run blast, designated hitter Prince Fielder added a solo shot and second baseman Tommy Field hit his first career long ball in the seventh inning.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Field, a native Texan who was called up from Triple-A earlier in the day. “I’ve been dreaming about this moment ever since I was a little kid in the backyard acting like I was Pudge Rodriguez. It finally came true. It’s a good experience.”
The Rangers chased wild Kansas City starter Danny Duffy in the fourth after Beltre drilled his two-run home run to right for a 6-1 lead. It was the fourth homer of the season for Beltre and the 399th of his career, tying him for 52nd on the all-time list.
Duffy allowed season highs in earned runs (six) and walks (six) while lasting only 3 2/3 innings. He has thrown a combined 4 2/3 innings in his past two starts after throwing at least five innings in each of his first five starts this season.
“Nobody feels worse than me,” Duffy said. “I cost my team two games.”
Royals manager Ned Yost said there is talk of skipping Duffy’s next start.
“He just needs to find that fine line between overthrowing and pitching,” Yost said.
The Rangers jumped ahead 4-0 in the second by taking advantage of control problems by Duffy, who walked four in the inning.
Three straight walks loaded the bases with no outs. With Duffy needing to throw a strike with a full count, Rangers left fielder Delino DeShields lined a belt-high fastball into the left field corner to drive in two runs.
It didn’t get any better from there for Duffy. A wild pitch and right fielder Shin-Soo Choo’s single up the middle led to two more runs before Duffy could register an out.
Duffy ended up throwing 48 pitches in the second.
The Royals got their first hit — shortstop Alcides Escobar’s leadoff bloop single — and first run off Lewis in the fourth.
Escobar came around to score on designated hitter Kendrys Morales’ line drive to center, but center fielder Leonys Martin snuffed the rally by throwing out third baseman Mike Moustakas at home to end the inning.
