Lewis, Rangers Bullpen Go Wild In 12-4 Loss To Jays
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ARLINGTON (AP) - Colby Lewis walked four batters and threw two wild pitches in five innings of a failed attempt to set a career high in wins.
Turns out the Texas pitching staff was just getting started.
The Rangers walked a season-high 11, and Edwin Encarnacion hit a grand slam that helped lift David Price to a win on his 30th birthday in Toronto's 12-4 victory against Texas on Wednesday night.
"We helped them out tonight with 11 walks," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "I know they hit the three home runs. But the reality is, we can't walk 11. That's unacceptable."
Encarnacion extended his hitting streak to 21 games when the right-handed slugger pulled a pitch into the Toronto bullpen in left-center for his 26th homer after Kevin Pillar opened a six-run sixth inning with a long ball that chased Lewis (14-6). The right-hander allowed six hits and five runs -- four earned -- in five innings.
"I didn't throw strikes," said Lewis, whose previous career high of 14 wins came in 2011. "Put it on me. I let too many baserunners on in certain situations."
Price (13-4) threw five scoreless innings after allowing Adrian Beltre's two-run homer in the first. While he was still struggling in the third, he got help on a spectacular, leaping catch at the wall in left field by Ben Revere that saved a run.
"After we got out of that inning, I told him that's hands down the best birthday gift that I had ever received," Price said. "It's a coin flip between that and 12 runs."
The AL East-leading Blue Jays won their fifth straight, while the Rangers dropped a half-game behind Minnesota in the race for the second AL wild card.
Jose Bautista walked four times and scored twice as Toronto went two games up in the division on the New York Yankees, who lost 6-2 to Houston. The Astros moved 5 1-2 games ahead of Texas atop the AL West.
Both of Lewis' wild pitches came during a 10-pitch at-bat that ended with former Texas player Justin Smoak's two-run homer to break a 2-all tie in the fifth inning. Smoak's 13th long ball hit off the facade of the upper deck in right field and extended Toronto's franchise record to 16 straight road games with a homer.
Encarnacion's second grand slam of the season -- both against the Rangers -- and the eighth of his career ended a stretch of six straight batters reaching to start the sixth. Pillar's eighth homer was one of his three hits.
After Texas reliever Spencer Patton walked two and didn't retire any of the five batters he faced, Sam Freeman walked four more. Anthony Bass had a wild pitch that scored Troy Tulowitzki for a 12-2 lead in the seventh as Toronto set a club record with its 20th game of at least 10 runs.
Price retired the last nine hitters he faced after the Rangers started the fourth with a single by Mike Napoli and a walk to Elvis Andrus, who was celebrating his 27th birthday. The left-hander is 4-0 in five starts since the Blue Jays acquired him from Detroit the day before the July 31 trade deadline.
Beltre put Texas ahead 2-0 with his 407th homer, tying Duke Snider at No. 51 on the career list. Shin-Soo Choo had a two-run single among his three hits.
NO TEXAS CHALLENGE
Toronto's Josh Donaldson was called safe when he tried to duck under a sweeping tag by 1B Napoli on a wide throw from 3B Beltre leading off the third. Replay showed Napoli tagging Donaldson's helmet as it was coming off before he touched the base, but Banister said the team's replay man thought the helmet was off, meaning Donaldson would be called safe.
Texas didn't challenge, and Beltre was charged with an error a night after he got one on a similar play, also on a bouncer by Donaldson, that gave Toronto a 6-5 lead in the ninth inning. This time, Donaldson later scored for a 2-all tie.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rangers: 2B Rougned Odor said doctors saved the nail on his right middle finger after a grounder almost tore it off Tuesday. He eventually left the game and still had a splint Wednesday. He's hopeful for a Thursday return. ... C Carlos Corporan (sprained left thumb) started a rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco. It's his second rehab stint after the first was cut short Aug. 3 by soreness in the thumb.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: RHP Marco Estrada (11-7, 3.27 ERA) makes his second career start against Texas. He beat the Rangers 5-1 in Texas two years ago.
Rangers: RHP Yovani Gallardo (10-9, 3.25) goes for his 100th career win. The first 89 came during his eight seasons with Milwaukee.
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