Lewis goes 8 innings, has key hit to lift Rangers
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MILWAUKEE (AP) — Colby Lewis scattered three hits over eight innings and added a key two-out single with the bases loaded to lead the Texas Rangers to a 7-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
Josh Hamilton homered for the AL West-leading Rangers, who won their fifth in six games and handed Brewers ace Yovani Gallardo (6-3) his first loss since April 10.
Gallardo trailed 2-1 when he intentionally walked Andres Blanco to get to Lewis, who snapped a 25 at-bat hitless streak for Rangers pitchers with the first hit of his career past outstretched third baseman Casey McGehee.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lewis (6-4) was just as good on the mound with a career high-tying 10 strikeouts and one walk. His only mistakes came against Prince Fielder, who hit two solo homers for Milwaukee.
Hamilton has homered in four of the last five games to give him 15 this season. His 10-game hitting streak matches his career best and he leads the majors in RBIs in June with 19.
The Rangers slugger drew oohs, then boos from the crowd in the fourth. Hamilton swung and missed on a breaking ball, flinging the bat out his hands as it sailed more than 100 feet away and six rows deep, clanging off an empty seat.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Three pitches later with a new bat in his hands, he crushed a Gallardo slider to right field for a two-run shot to give Texas a 2-1 lead.
In the sixth, Vladimir Guerrero extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a leadoff single and Hamilton doubled. After two strikeouts, Blanco, hitting .204, was walked.
Lewis followed with his gritty eight-pitch at-bat. He fouled away several fastballs and hit another offering off his foot before taking Gallardo's low curveball down the left-field line to give Texas a 4-1 lead. Lewis also singled in the eighth.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gallardo, who also struck out 10, snapped a six-game winning streak.
Hamilton's run-scoring groundout in the seventh and Julio Borbon's two-out double in the eighth off the Brewers bullpen made it 7-2.
Fielder had been slumping at the plate recently, but looked more comfortable after finishing Saturday night's 4-3 loss 0 for 5, including the final out with the tying run at third.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The first baseman's second home run of the game, a towering shot in the sixth, bounced high off the batter's eye to give him 12 this season and cut Texas' lead to 4-2, but Milwaukee could get no closer and fell to an NL-worst 11-19 at home.
NOTES: Borbon also has an 11-game hitting streak. ... Rangers 3B Michael Young doubled in the fourth and is one hit away from tying Ivan Rodriguez's franchise mark at 1,747. ... Rangers 1B Justin Smoak went 0 for 5 with five strikeouts. ... Brewers LHP Doug Davis (inflammation of heart membrane) said he expects to pitch two rehab assignments for Triple-A Nashville on Saturday and again the following Thursday. If all goes well, he could be activated June 29. ... Brewers RHP Todd Coffey (right thumb) played catch on Sunday. He's expected to make one rehab appearance before returning.