Colby Lewis leads Rangers to 4-0 win against Tigers
DETROIT (AP) As well as Colby Lewis pitched against the Detroit Tigers, he knows he also got a lot of help from his teammates.
Lewis allowed six hits and a walk in seven strong innings while the Texas Rangers turned three double plays and threw out another runner at the plate in a 4-0 victory over the Tigers on Friday night.
''There were guys making plays everywhere out there tonight,'' said Lewis (14-5). ''I gave up some rockets, but they all got caught.''
Shawn Tolleson pitched the ninth for his 24th save, despite allowing Miguel Cabrera's third double of the game.
''That's as good a save as you can get, striking out Victor (Martinez), J.D. Martinez and (Nick) Castellanos,'' Texas manager Jeff Banister said. ''Not just getting those three guys, but doing it like that.''
The game was delayed for several minutes in the eighth inning after a female fan seated in the first row behind the Tigers' dugout was hit by a line drive off the bat of Anthony Gose.
After lengthy attention from three paramedics, she was taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital for observation, and the Tigers reported after the game that she was conscious and alert.
Tigers starter Justin Verlander called for enhanced safety measure at major-league parks. A broken bat also flew into the stands behind the Tigers dugout, but no one was seriously injured.
''Something really serious needs to happen,'' he said. ''Baseball needs to make an adjustment in a hurry.''
Verlander (1-6) took the loss despite allowing two runs - one earned - and four hits with a walk in seven innings. Since July 10, Verlander has allowed one or fewer earned runs in six of his eight starts, but is 1-4.
The Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the second with some help from the Tigers' defense. After Elvis Andrus singled with one out, Rougned Odor hit a hard grounder to first that looked like it would be an inning-ending 3-6-3 double play. Cabrera, though, misplayed the ball, and was only able to get the out at first.
Will Venable followed with an RBI double into the left-center field gap.
Prince Fielder, booed for the second straight night, made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly in the third inning that was set up when Delino DeShields reached on a bunt single and took third on Verlander's wild pickoff attempt.
Detroit loaded the bases with one out in its half of the third, but Tyler Collins grounded into a double play with Cabrera on deck. Cabrera led off the fourth with a double, but DeShields robbed Victor Martinez with a leaping catch at the wall in right-center field. Nick Castellanos singled with two out, but Venable threw Cabrera out at the plate.
''First I hung a slider and Victor crushed it to the one part of the park where it could be caught, and then Will made that great throw,'' Lewis said.
That play was reviewed - Cabrera had originally been called safe - and the same thing happened in the sixth when Cabrera was doubled off second on Martinez's line drive. The second review, which upheld the original call, was 4:57 long, and Ausmus was ejected for arguing the decision.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rangers: Venable's RBI double was his first hit for Texas after he was called up to replace OF Josh Hamilton (knee). The Rangers have now used an AL-high 54 players this season. Texas set a major-league record last year by using 64 players.
Tigers: LHP Kyle Lobstein made his fourth injury rehab start Thursday, allowing six runs on 12 hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings. Lobstein, who has been sidelined since May 24 with a shoulder injury, is 0-3 with a 7.24 ERA between Triple-A and Single-A.
UP NEXT
The teams play the third of a four-game series Saturday with Texas' Yovani Gallardo (9-9, 3.39) facing Detroit's Randy Wolf on Wolf's 39th birthday. Wolf, acquired by the Tigers this week in a minor-league deal with Toronto, will be making his first major-league start since June 14, 2014 and just his fifth since 2012.
TRAMMELL WEARING (hash)3 AGAIN
For the second time this season, former Tigers player and manager Alan Trammell filled in as the first-base coach. The first time, he wore No. 4 to avoid conflicting with Ian Kinsler, who now wears the No. 3 that Trammell wore for 19 seasons as a player and three more as manager. This time, though, Trammell and Kinsler both wore No. 3.
RANGERS GIVING LONG-DISTANCE ADVICE
Texas might be chasing Houston in the AL West, but that was forgotten for several minutes after the game. Most of the pitching staff gathered around a clubhouse television and yelled pitch-selection advice to Mike Fiers during the ninth inning of his no-hitter.
''That's awesome,'' Lewis said after the final pitch. ''Well, for him. Not for us.''