STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Colby Lewis and the Texas Rangers trailed only one batter into the game against the Los Angeles Angels.
Things only got worse after that for the freefalling Rangers. Much worse.
Lewis allowed a club-record 13 runs without getting out of the third inning in a 15-6 loss Thursday night. The Rangers, who have lost five straight and 19 of 22, have the worst winning percentage in the majors at .413 with their 38-54 record.
Like manager Ron Washington was during a closed-door postgame meeting with the Rangers, Lewis is upset with the way things are going for the team that went to the World Series in 2010 and 2011.
“For every reason. We don’t lose here and that’s what’s going on. We’ve got to make changes,” Lewis said. “Like Wash said, it all happens in this locker room whether we want to make the change or not.”
Washington refused to reveal specifically what he said, but did give some insight into what he expects from his players.
“That you don’t stop fighting. You don’t give into adversity. The game of baseball is full of it. You don’t give in to it,” he said. “The only people that can make a change and make a difference is my guys. “
Kole Calhoun got the Angels off to a fast start when he had a leadoff triple and trotted home after an errant relay throw bounced into the seats. All-Star center fielder Mike Trout and the rest of the Angels quickly followed his lead.
“Oh yeah we were having fun,” said Trout, the No. 2 hitter behind Calhoun who had a three-run homer among his four hits. “We always have fun, we know what this offense is capable of doing.”
The first four Angels batters in the game had hits and scored. They added six more runs in the second and were already up 13-2 against Lewis (6-6) when Trout hit his 21st homer homered with one out in the third.
” I felt like it was one of those days. They hit it,” Lewis said. “They found the gap and I got beat. Plain and simple.”
Lewis allowed a career-worst 13 hits in his 130th major league start, while his ERA increased by more than a full run — from 5.51 to 6.54 — after 11 earned runs were changed against him.
Rangers rookie outfielder Jake Smolinski, who made his major league debut as a pinch-hitter Monday, had three hits, drove in three runs and scored twice. He has hits in all three of his starts and is the first Rangers player ever with eight hits in his first four games.
All-Star third baseman Adrian Beltre had three hits, including his 13th homer, to extend his AL-long 14-game hitting streak. He is hitting .500 (42 of 84) his last 22 home games.
Left-hander Hector Santiago (1-7) struck out eight in six innings as the Angels won for the seventh time in eight games.
Calhoun, who had four hits and scored four times, was only a homer shy of a cycle after hits in each of the first three innings. He admittedly “‘100 percent” was trying to go deep his last two at-bats in a lopsided game, but grounded out and had another single.
“I was definitely pulling for it,” Trout said. “It was fun to watch.”
NOTES: The Angels had lost eight consecutive games at Texas. … RHP Matt West became the third player to make his major league debut this week for the Rangers. He had two scoreless innings in relief and was the 28th pitcher used this season by Texas, breaking a tie with the Angels for the most in the majors. C Chris Gimenez made it 29 when he pitched a 1-2-3 ninth. … Angels RHP Garrett Richards (10-2, 2.71), who finished second in the final five voting for the last spot on the AL All-Star team, starts Friday night against righty Nick Tepesch (3-4, 4.29).
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