Lewis gets 1st win in 2 years, Texas 6-3 over WSox

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Colby Lewis had to be reminded about his last victory for the Texas Rangers. It had been a while.

Lewis allowed one run over 5 1-3 innings for his first win in nearly two years, after elbow surgery and a unique hip procedure, and the Rangers beat the Chicago White Sox 6-3 on Saturday night for their fifth consecutive victory.

“It’s pretty sentimental,” Lewis said. “It’s one of those victories that I’m just excited about.”

The 34-year-old right-hander won for the first time since June 17, 2012, a month before his last game prior to surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right elbow. He was still rehabbing from that last August when he had right hip resurfacing surgery, and is the first known major league pitcher to return from that operation to remove bone spurs without a full hip replacement.

“It was awesome,” shortstop Elvis Andrus said. “We’re really glad for him.”

Joakim Soria, the fifth Texas reliever, worked a perfect ninth for his third save in four chances. He then gave the game ball to Lewis (1-1).

Before his season debut Monday night, a home loss to Seattle when he also went 5 1-3 innings, Lewis hadn’t made a major league start since July 18, 2012.

“I’m still kind of disappointed that i didn’t go deeper in the ball game,” Lewis said. “But I felt like the 85 (pitches) were a lot better than the 88 that I threw the other day. I felt like I was more relaxed. I was more myself.”

Manager Ron Washington said that kind of improvement is what the Rangers wanted to see from Lewis.

“He came out and kept the ball down for the most part and used his pitches well, kept his stamina going for the time that he was out there,” Washington said.

Texas went ahead to stay on Prince Fielder’s high-arching blast to right leading off the fourth for a 2-1 lead. It was only his second homer in his 18 games with Texas.

Shin-Soo Choo and Alex Rios each had three hits for the Rangers and Kevin Kouzmanoff homered leading off the eighth, giving him a 10-game hitting streak to start his Rangers career.

Jose Quintana (1-1) allowed five runs and nine hits over five innings, and the White Sox lost their fourth straight.

“He was pretty good. It wasn’t his best stuff, but they are going to get hits, just because of the way the ballpark plays,” manager Robin Ventura said. “But once they start falling in, those are the ones that hurt you.”

Dayan Viciedo’s two-run single in the eighth got the White Sox within 5-3 before Alexei Ramirez, who entered the game with a AL-leading .379 batting average, grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Ramirez finished 0 for 4 to snap his 21-game hitting streak, the longest hitting streak by a White Sox player since Carlos Lee’s franchise-record 28 in a row 10 years ago, and drop his average to .357.

After Fielder’s homer, Josh Wilson had a two-run single in the fourth before Choo’s RBI-double made it 5-1.

“The situation in the fourth inning changed the game for me,” Quintana said. “One pitch. But now I’m thinking about the next start.”

Chicago opened the second inning with three consecutive singles - equaling its season-low hit total from the night before in a span of five pitches. Ramirez then grounded into a double play to send home a run that tied the game at 1.

Texas had three consecutive hits in the first, though No. 2 Elvis Andrus got tagged out in a rundown between first and second base after his single. Rios had an RBI double for a 1-0 lead and to stretch his hitting streak to six games.

After Andrus was tagged out diving back into first, Texas manager Ron Washington took one step out of the dugout like he might challenge the play. He instead returned to his seat, and TV replays showed that Andrus was indeed out.

Notes: Chicago leadoff hitter Adam Eaton left with a mild strain in his left hamstring after batting in the fifth. Eaton and manager Robin Ventura said the injury wasn’t related to a collision with 1B Fielder the previous pitch on a foul-ball roller up the first-base line. … Viciedo’s hit off Alexi Ogando ended a scoreless streak of 16 2-3 innings by Rangers relievers, who had allowed only one earned run the previous 23 1-2 innings. … Texas LHP Matt Harrison threw eighth scoreless innings in a rehab start for Double-A Frisco on Saturday night. He could make his Rangers season debut as early as next weekend. … The Rangers are a majors-best 9-3 at home this season.