Rangers lose 4-3 to Kansas City Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Colby Lewis is racking up innings for the Texas Rangers. It’s quite a feat after he missed last season with elbow and hip surgeries.

Lewis pitched seven innings in the Texas Rangers’ 4-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Monday night. He leads the team with 144 1-3 on the year.

“It definitely is gratifying,” Lewis said. “I’m thankful the hip is healthy and I’ve got the opportunity to take the ball every five days and get a start and eat up innings. I feel like that’s what I wanted to do throughout my career. With how my body feels this second half, I’m hopeful I can go out there next year and be that guy.”

Lewis (9-12), who turned 35 last month, allowed four runs and nine hits while throwing 98 pitches. The right-hander recorded complete-game victories in each of his previous two road starts.

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“Colby did a tremendous job managing that game,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “He knows how to pitch. If he’s healthy he can execute his pitches. We just couldn’t push too many more runs across.”

Washington said “if the hip holds up like it has I wouldn’t be surprised” if Lewis tops the Rangers in innings.

Salvador Perez homered and drove in three runs. Perez, who had three hits, went deep in the third with Alex Gordon aboard.

“I could have hit that fastball out,” Lewis said. “I’d be geared up, too, 2-0. I didn’t hit my spot.”

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Perez’s two-out double in the first scored Gordon, who had singled and swiped second.

Yordano Ventura (11-9) allowed three runs, two earned, and five hits in 6 1-3 innings for Kansas City. The right-hander, who was skipped on his previous turn in the rotation due to a sore back, struck out seven and walked four.

Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland combined for 2 2-3 hitless innings after Ventura departed. Holland struck out two in a perfect ninth, earning his 41st save in 43 chances.

Carlos Peguero, who was just brought up from Triple-A Omaha, doubled in the fifth and scored on Mike Moustakas’ single to give the Royals a 4-0 advantage.

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Texas responded with a run in the sixth on Adrian Beltre’s groundout. Tomas Telis and Michael Choice each had an RBI single in the seventh, cutting the Royals’ lead to one run.

LOVES KAUFFMAN STADIUM

Beltre, who singled in the third, is a career .374 hitter at Kauffman Stadium. That is the second-highest batting average for an opposing hitter with a minimum of 150 plate-appearances since the stadium opened in 1973.

UP NEXT:

Rangers: LHP Derek Holland will make his first start of the season after having knee surgery on Jan. 10. He went 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA in six rehab starts in the minors

Royals: RHP Jeremy Guthrie (10-10) goes for Kansas City. Guthrie is 2-0 with a 4.29 ERA in his last three starts.

TRAINER’S ROOM:

Rangers: RHP Miles Mikolas, who was skipped his previous start with shoulder fatigue, has not progressed and may not pitch Thursday in his next scheduled start.

Royals: DH Josh Willingham has not played since Friday because of a bad back. He will try to swing the bat Tuesday.